(VOVworld) - A record 10.01 million people visited Vietnam during calendar year 2016, marking a 125% increase over the number of inbound travellers for 2015, the General Statistics Office (GSO) has reported.

Much of the increase is attributable to an increase in Chinese travellers, both business and pleasure, which hit a record high 2.7 million in 2016, more than 150% the number for 2015.

Most of the remainder of the increase can be accounted for by an increase in travellers from Asia, both business and pleasure, which hit 7.26 million, accounting for 72.5% of the total number of inbound travellers.

The coming into force of ASEAN at the beginning of the year in tandem with the increased business travel into and out of the country on the back of increased free and bilateral trade agreements has had a profound impact on the number of travellers, said the GSO.