Vietnam welcomed 5.6 million foreign visitors in the first half of the year, a 9.3-fold increase against the same period last year, figures from the General Statistics Office (GSO) reveal.

In June alone, 975,000 international tourists visited Vietnam, up 6.4 per cent against May and 4.1-fold higher year-on-year, the Nhan dan (People) online newspaper reported.

South Korea remained the largest source market, with over 1.6 million visitors during the six-month period, followed by China with some 557,000.

The GSO reported that earnings from accommodation and restaurant services in the period were estimated at VND321.7 trillion ($13.57 billion), up 18.7 per cent year-on-year.

Vietnam aims to welcome 110 million tourists this year, including 8 million international visitors, and anticipates earning VND650 trillion ($27.56 billion) from tourism.