3 Vietnamese tourist hotspots win ASEAN awards

The awards ceremony was part of 2022 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2022) held in Sihanoukville Province in Cambodia from Jan. 16-22.

The recognition was based on a set of indicators including environmental management, cleanliness, waste management, awareness-building on environmental protection and cleanliness, green spaces, health safety, urban safety; and tourism infrastructure and facilities that evaluate how sustainable ASEAN cities are.

For years now, Vung Tau, around 125 kilometers (77 miles) from Saigon, has been a popular weekend escape in southern Vietnam, famous for its long, gentle beaches and warm waters.

Da Lat, a cool resort town in the Central Highlands, is well known for its year-round cool climate, green pine forests and fresh air while Ha Long in the north has banned the use of plastic products on sightseeing boats.

Hmong Village in Ha Giang Province, Vedana Lagoon Resort & Spa in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Minera Hot Spring Binh Chau in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, Amiana Resort in Khanh Hoa Province and Can Tho Ecolodge in the eponymous city were bestowed the ‘ASEAN Green Hotel Standard” title.

The forum provides a platform to encourage collaboration between ASEAN member states and to holistically promote the region as one destination, with diverse culture, cuisine and communities.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, ASEAN is one of Vietnam’s major sources of tourists. In 2019, tourist arrivals from Southeast Asian neighbors totaled nearly 2.1 million, accounting for 11.6 percent of foreign arrivals, mostly from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia.