Vietnam visitor arrivals up 25% on yr in feb HANOI - Vietnam received over 120,000 international visitors in February, up 25% from the same month a year ago, the Vietnam News Agency said Tuesday. Giving no comparative figures, it said 350,000 people entered the country from January through February. Officials at Vietnam Tourism Administration weren't able to confirm the figures. Vietnam's foreign arrivals figures include both tourist and business arrivals. The country is working to attract foreign tourists, because they bring much-needed foreign exchange in to the country. But tourist arrivals have slipped in recent years as a result of the Asian Financial Crisis, which lowered the number of people in Asia able to afford overseas holidays. To reverse the trend, Hanoi this year launched its "Vietnam: Destination Of The New Millennium campaign." In coming months it will hold tourist festivals in several cities, including the ancient capital of Hue and beach resort Hoi An. In addition, the government last year increased the number of entry and exit points available to foreign visitors, enabling tourists to travel overland between Vietnam and neighboring China, Laos and Cambodia. "To open a wider door to international tourists, the government has opened eight border gates between Vietnam and neighboring countries," an official with the Border Guard Military Forces told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday. Meanwhile, Hanoi is also moving to simplify procedures for Vietnamese wishing to travel abroad. According to a VNA report Tuesday, Government Decree 05/2000/ND-CP takes effect March 18 and will make it easier for Vietnamese citizens to buy a passport. "Vietnam has reformed its visa and passport procedures, allowing citizens to apply for passports without having to declare in advance why they want to take an overseas trip," said the People's Police newspaper Tuesday. Previously, a passport could be obtained most easily if the traveler had a specific reason other than tourism to go abroad. Earlier this year, the Philippines announced it will allow Vietnamese tourists to enter the country visa-free for up to 21 days. Thailand is considering a similar move, a Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told Dow Jones. Dow Jones - March 7, 2000.