HANOI, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam welcomed 12.23 million international visitors in the first seven months of this year, marking a 22.5 percent increase year-on-year, official data showed on Wednesday.

Of the total, air travelers accounted for 85.1 percent.

Arrivals from Asian countries alone reached more than 9.6 million during the period, up 22.4 percent compared to the same period last year.

The surge was due to favorable visa policies, intensified tourism promotion campaigns and a series of events held to celebrate major national holidays and festivals.