Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has emerged as one of the leading attractivedestinations in Asia for international cruise ships with the arrival of morethan 400 ships in 2017.

Thecountry ranked sixth among regional countries most visited by cruise ships in2017, following Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Malaysia.

“Vietnam has become an increasingly popular destination for our guests from theUS, Australia and Europe as well as from Asian countries and cruising is one ofthe best ways to explore this magnificent part of the world”, said FarriekTawfik, Director of the Southeast Asia at Princess Cruises, a cruise line ownedby the US Carnival Corporation &PLC.

In response to growing demand, the cruise line has significantly expandeditineraries to offer passengers more choices of sailings and exciting trips, headded.

Princess Cruises took 58,000 international passengers on 22 sailings to Vietnam’sPhu My, Nha Trang, Da Nang and Cai Lan ports in 2017. This year, its sixcruisers - Majestic Princess, Sapphire Princess, Diamond Princess, GoldenPrincess, Sun Princess and Coral Princess, will make 31 voyages and bring some80,000 visitors to Vietnam.

The liner has pledged assistance to Vietnam’s sea tourism sector by arrangingprogrammes for its customers to discover local landscapes, cuisine and culture.It will also use local fresh food to serve on-board meals.

Also, the Southeast Asian country poses huge potential for cruise travel. Thenation has become an apple of foreign cruisers thanks to the growing populationof the middle and affluent class which is said to double in size between nowand 2020, to 33 million, or one third of the country’s population.

Farriek Tawfik said that cruise demand in the country surged 126 percent during2012-2016, the strongest growth recorded in the Asian region. Quotingstatistics from the Cruise Lines International Association, he stated that in2012, there were only 158 Vietnamese cruise passengers; however, the numberwent up to 4,100 four years later.

To attract more cruise liners, Vietnam should have sufficient sea portfacilities and relevant services at tourist attractions. A friendlierenvironment should be created for foreign visitors like simplifying visagranting procedures, according to Farriek Tawfik.-VNA