Total revenue of Vietnam’s tourism industry was estimated at VND230 trillion in 2014, up 15% from the figure recorded in the previous year.

The statistics were released at an online conference held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourisms on January 16 to review activities in 2014 and discuss orientations for 2015.

The event attracted the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh, as well as delegates from three big cities of Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh.

The participants highlighted significant achievements of the tourism industry last year. Vietnam was cited by the US magazine Travel and Leisure as top 20 destinations for tourists. Many cultural and natural heritages of Vietnam won UNESCO’s recognition, such as Vi Giam folk singing in central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, and Trang An tourim complex in the northern province of Ninh Binh, they noted.

The delegates also appreciated the sports sector’s  sucess in 2014. Vietnamese atheltes secured the 10th place in medal tally of the second Asian Paragames in Incheon, the Republic of Korea in October 2014. It’s worth noting that marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh set a new world record after he snatched a gold medal at the world shooting tournament in the US.

Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam emphasized the need to preserve and uphold traditional cultural and historical values. He also asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to build a long-term strategy on cultural and art preservation.