HANOI, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's total goods retail sales and consumer service revenues in the first two months of this year increased 10.1 percent year-on-year to 704 trillion Vietnamese dong (over 31.1 billion U.S. dollars), according to the country's General Statistics Office on Friday.

Specifically, Vietnam's goods retail sales rose 10 percent to 532 trillion Vietnamese dong (23.5 billion dollars), with sales of food and foodstuffs growing 11.8 percent, garments growing 11.5 percent, home appliances growing 11.4 percent, and cultural and educational items growing 7.8 percent.

Localities with highest growth rates in goods retails sales included northern Quang Ninh (16.8 percent), northern Lai Chau province (16.5 percent), northern Thai Nguyen province (16.1 percent), northern Lao Cai province (15.8 percent), central Binh Dinh province (up 14.9 percent), Hanoi capital (10.3 percent), and Ho Chi Minh City (9.7 percent).

Restaurant and accommodation revenues were 85.3 trillion Vietnamese dong (nearly 3.8 billion dollars), up 10.2 percent year-on-year, and tourism revenues were 7.5 trillion Vietnamese dong (331.8 million dollars), up 38.4 percent.

The bigger goods retail sales and consumer service revenues in the first two months of this year were partly attributed to higher demand for goods purchase, house repair and decoration, and traveling during the weeklong Lunar New Year festival which started on Feb. 14, said local experts.

Vietnam's total goods retail sales and consumer service revenues stood at over 3,934 trillion Vietnamese dong (174 billion dollars) last year, said the office.