Foreign visitor number increases by 38 pct in August

South Koreans topped the list at 173,000 followed by Americans (139,000) and Cambodians (82,000), according to the General Statistics Office.

So far this year the country has received 1.44 million foreign tourists, only 28 percent of the full-year target.

Tourism revenues during the January-August period reached VND15.4 trillion ($657.32 million), up 3.4 times year-on-year.

With the numbers still not meeting expectations, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has urged the government to consider expanding the list of eligible countries for visa waiver and doubling visa-free stays for tourists from western European countries to 30 days.

The government is considering issuing e-visas to nationals of more countries.

It now issues 30-day single-entry visas online to people from 80 countries and territories, including Australia, India, the U.K., and the U.S.