The ASEAN Tourism Awards 2023 ceremony was held on February 5 in Indonesia as part of the ongoing ASEAN Tourism Forum 2023 under the theme "ASEAN: A Journey to Wonderful Destinations".

A foreign traveler enjoys buying fruits in Cai Be Floating Market. Photo: Mekong Smiles

As a result, two groups of host families, one in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long and the other in the northwestern province of Lao Cai, received the ASEAN Homestay Award.

The first group consists of six establishments: Ut Thuy, Sau Thanh, Nam Thanh, Nam Thanh, Ba Linh, Ngoc Phuong, and Ngoc Sang, in An Binh District, Vinh Long Province, about 140 km from Ho Chi Minh City.

The locality is famous for its islets of fruit orchards. The most prominent tourist attractions are the Cai Be Floating Market, the Vinh Long Brick and Ceramic Kingdom, and the stunning waterways, wild islets, and hidden homestays.

The second group features five homestays in the villages of Hon, Muong Kem, Na Khuong, and Tham Ma in the mountainous commune of Nghia Do, Bao Yen District, Lao Cai Province.

Located about 280 km northeast of Hanoi, the locality is home to the Tay ethnic group, which has a long history of settlement in this area, creating unique cultural traits, customs, and beliefs that are preserved to this day.

The poetic scenery of Nghia Do Commune, Nghia Do, Bao Yen District of Lao Cai Province in the ripening rice season. Photo: Lao Cai Newspaper

Meanwhile, four enterprises won the ASEAN Community Tourism Award, namely Quan Ba Service Cooperative in Ha Giang Province; Sin Suoi Ho Village in Lai Chau Province; Tan Thanh Fishing Village in Quang Nam Province; and the eco-village of stilt houses in Thai Hai Reserve, in Thai Nguyen Province.

In addition, the ASEAN Public Toilet Award went to the toilets in Saigon Skydeck of Bitexco Financial Tower, Southern Women’s Museum, and Ben Xua Tourist Area in Ho Chi Minh City.

Other five businesses won the category of ASEAN Spa Service Awards, including the Cham Spa & Massage in the central city of Danang, the Sen Tai Thu at Vincom Mega Mall Smart City in Hanoi, the Sol Spa of Minera Resort Hotel in the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, the Chi Spa of Silk Path Grand Resort & Spa Sapa - Lao Cai Province, and Thala Spa of Best Western Premier Sonasea Phu Quoc Hotel in Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province.

The ASEAN Tourism Awards is an annual event to honor localities and units with high-quality tourism products and services, contributing to boosting the sustainable development of tourism destinations in ASEAN.

Having a bath with herbs of the Dao ethnic people is one of the great experiences for visitors to Sapa Town, Lao Cai Province. Photo: Chi Spa, Silk Path Grand Resort & Spa Sapa

The event is also said to be a good opportunity for businesses as well as local organizations to effectively market their tourism products, as well as contribute to promoting the national tourism brands among the ASEAN community.

ASEAN, of which Vietnam is a member, is one of the country’s most important tourism markets and partners.

In 2019, visitors from other ASEAN member states to Vietnam reached nearly 2.1 million, accounting for about 11.6% of the total number of foreign arrivals.

Vietnam advocates multilateral cooperation within the ASEAN framework, as it plays an important role in the country's international cooperation, especially in tourism.