When 33-year-old Villard Karine stepped of her plane at Noi Bai Airport on 8 December she received an unusually warm reception. The French citizen was received by senior officials of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) celebrating the arrival of the two millionth foreign visitor to the country in 2000. While two million international visitors is still low by international standards, it does mark substantial progress for the tourism industry in Vietnam, an industry which only reached one million overseas visitors six years ago. It is estimated that total arrivals by the end of 2000 will be in excess of 2.13 million, which would repressent an impressive 20.1 percent increase over the previous year. Hotel occupancy rates have averaged 44 per cent, up 2.5 percent for 2000, with Saigontourist-owned hotels reporting 68 per cent occupancy, up 11 per cent. In addition to the state law on the amended entry-exit visas recently passed allowing foreign visitors to have visas issued on arrival (with prior notice) at Vietnamese airports transit passengers who stay in Vietnam for less than 72 hours will soon be allowed to travel around the country without visas. 

13-16 January: ATF, Brunei; 31 January-4 February: FITUR, Madrid; 14 -18 February: BIT, Milan; 3-7 March: ITB, Berlin; 30 March-1 April: Mekong Tourism Forum, Kunming; 3-6 April: PATA Travl Mart, Singapore; 1-4 May: ATM, Dubai.