The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has announced that for the first time in seven years the UK has become one of the country’s top ten visitor generating markets.

Since Vietnam Airlines has launched direct services between London and Vietnam’s Hanoi and HCMC in December 2011 visitor arrivals from the United Kingdom have increased, the Vietnam net reported.

According to VNAT almost 18,000 Britons visited Vietnam in January this year which represents a year on year increase of 39.7 percent.

Internationally, VNAT reported Vietnam received 630,000 international visitors for the month of January 2012, up 24.8 percent year on year.

In addition to promotional flights targeted at Vietnamese travellers to Britain, Vietnam Airlines has planned specific marketing initiatives to lure British tourists to Vietnam.

Vietnam Airlines currently operates four weekly flights between Vietnam and the UK and is planning to introduce daily flights in 2015.

VNAT will this year focus on exploring the potential market through roadshows and tours arranged for British travel agencies to Vietnam.

Britain’s Guardian newspaper last year hailed Vietnam as one of the five popular destinations after Japan, Maldives, Peru and New Zealand.