Hanoi, Jan 30 (IANS): Vietnam welcomed 871,200 foreign tourists in January, surging 44 times compared to the same period last year, mainly thanks to the resumption of international flights post the Covid-19 pandemic, the General Statistics Office said on Monday.

During the period, foreign visitors entering the Southeast Asian country by air accounted for 91.9 per cent of the total, followed by road with 7.5 per cent and sea routes with 5.6 per cent, respectively, reports Xinhua news agency.

Most of the arrivals were from Asia with around 70 per cent, according to the office.

Vietnam saw approximately 3.7 million international arrivals in 2022, surging 23.3-fold from the previous year, but still falling short of the target which was set at 5 million.

It is forecast there will be a surge in international travel demand this year and Vietnam is expected to see a breakthrough in both the number of international tourists and revenues, says Nguyen Trung Khanh, general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Vietnam will actively implement its tourism promotion programs including attending international travel expos, he said.

The country is striving to attract over 8 million international arrivals this year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.