Hanoi (VNA) -🃏 Vietnam haswitnessed an influx of international hotel brands and hotel managementcompanies in the last few years, according to property consultant SavillsVietnam.

From 30 hotels with internationalbrand names in 2010, the number had increased to 79 at the end of last year. There has been a particularly bigjump this year with recent announcements by Mandarin Oriental and Movenpick inHCM City and Best Western Premier in Quang Binh and Long Hai. There have also been new brandsentering the market in the last three years, including Ozo and X2 Vibe (HoiAn), Hilton’s Double Tree (Ha Long, Vung Tau and Hanoi), Four Seasons (QuangNam and Hanoi), Oakwood (HCM City), Glow (Da Nang), and Mai House (HCM City). Mauro Gasparotti, director of SavillsHotels Asia Pacific, said a big increase in operators’ interest in the countryin the last three years has resulted in the expansion of the hospitalitymarket. “The number of internationaloperators is expected to grow in the coming years along with local managementcompanies.” Operators are launching new brandsto target all kinds of clients including millennials and health-conscioustravellers, he said, adding that Vietnam is a promising market forthem to introduce focused brands since people travelling here are largelydiversified. Vietnamese investors are still newto hospitality products, but with a large amount of supply coming, there wouldbe rapid learning for some of them and more quality assets are expected to comeup, he said. The number of international touristarrivals in Vietnam in the first five months of this year was 6.7 million, up27.6 percent year-on-year, according to the Vietnam National Administration ofTourism. Tourism revenues are estimated at 260.2trillion VND (11.41 billion USD), a year-on-year increase of 22.6 percent. The strong growth of the tourismsector has also given a boost to the hospitality industry.-VNA