As many as 11 Vietnam travel companies are taking part in the 18th Moscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (MITT) in Russia, one of the five annual biggest tourism expos in the world.

The participation aims to promote the images of Vietnam and present Vietnam’s tourism products, said Chu Ha Lan, an official from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

According to statistics provided by the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, the number of Russian tourists to Vietnam has been increasing. In 2010, more than 60,000 Russian tourists visited Vietnam.

Representatives of a number of travel agents applauded the visa exemption for Russian tourists visiting Vietnam within 15 days, saying that the move helps attract more Russian citizens to visit the Southeast Asian country, according to the embassy.

The four-day MITT that opened on March 16 drew 1,700 domestic and international travel agents and tourism offices.