Vietnam chosen world's leading heritage destination for third time

Vietnam has been chosen the World's Leading Heritage Destination 2022, an award that it had won earlier in 2019 and 2020.

This was the top of several awards won by Vietnam at the World Travel Awards 2022.

Hanoi was chosen the year’s World's Leading City Break Destination, while Moc Chau plateau in Son La province was the World's Leading Regional Nature Destination. The plateau had been chosen as one of four nominees for Asia's leading regional nature destination in August.

Moc Chau is a cool region, with average temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, picturesque tea hills and culturally diverse ethnic minority communities. About 200 kilometers west of Hanoi and around 1,000 meters above sea level, the plateau lures more and more visitors every year with its beauty and charm.

Moc Chau is also home to the newly-launched 632-meter-long Bach Long bridge, the world’s longest glass bridge as recognized by the Guinness World Records.

Tam Dao in Vinh Phuc province was chosen the World's Leading Town Destination of the year.

About 80 kilometers from Hanoi, Tam Dao district is located at an altitude of more than 900 meters above sea level and enjoys cool climate all year round. The town gets its name from the three mountains that rise above a sea of clouds - Thach Ban, Thien Thi and Phu Nghia.

Meanwhile, Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island off the southern province of Kien Giang, was honored with the World's Leading Nature Island Destination 2022 title.

In October, the island was been named among the top 10 islands in Asia by U.S. travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler. In July, Phu Quoc was ranked fourth in the list of top 10 islands in Southeast Asia by readers of the Travel + Leisure magazine.

Also known as thee “Pearl Island,” Phu Quoc was named among the 17 best places in Asia by cable news network CNN in 2019. “The island is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia and the world's longest overseas cable car," it wrote.

“Besides resting on beautiful beaches like Sao beach, Long beach and Ong Lang, travelers can kayak through fishing villages, dine on fresh seafood aboard a floating platoon, go squid fishing and visit a pearl farm.”

Phu Quoc became well-known globally after the government allowed 30-day visa-free entry to the island in 2014. The island received five million visitors in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, 541,600 of them foreigners, according to official data.

Established in 1993 in England, the World Travel Awards celebrated its 29th anniversary this year. Its annual programme is considered the most prestigious and comprehensive in the global tourism industry.

The 29th World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony was held Friday at the Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Muscat, under the patronage of His Excellency Salim bin Mohammed Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism.