The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has claimed that Vietnam remains a safe destination for foreign visitors and pledged to continue ensuring tourists’ safety.  In a letter to international travel agencies Wednesday it added that it had taken a series of drastic measures to ensure tourists’ safety from bird flu.

Vietnamese travel agencies had been given comprehensive information about the epidemic and safety measures to avoid contracting it.

They had been asked not to take tourists to epidemic-hit areas or consume poultry without certificates of origin, the letter said.

The administration had set up a two-way hotline between the Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and tourism departments, it said.

Vietnam has received 3.43 million foreign visitors so far this year, an increase of over 17 percent over last year.

In 2005 China, Europe, North America, and East Asia remained the main customers for Vietnam’s tourism industry. With more than 300,000 tourists, the Republic of Korea has taken the lead with a 50 percent yearly increase.

(Source: VNA)