The number of foreign tourists to Vietnam dropped nearly 14 per cent in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period last year, mainly due to a dramatic decline in visitors from Russia and China, tourism officials said last week. The number of Chinese tourists fell by just over 40 per cent in the first quarter following the dispute between the two nations over islands in the South China Sea while the Russians have been forced to put their travel plans on hold following the decline of the ruble. Vietnam has been struggling to compete for tourist dollars with regional rivals like Thailand. Industry leaders have acknowledged that Vietnam has had trouble generating repeat business because of such concerns as pollution, second-rate facilities and often shoddy customer service. - DPA