The global outreach of the awards – about to embark on their 19th year - is evidenced by the fact that almost 25,000 images were submitted from photographers in 147 countries, with Vladimir Alekseev becoming first-ever Russian overall winner of the contest. The photographer had captured the lightning sky in Russia's Tver region.

The photo of award-winning photographer Vladimir Alekseev.

Chris Coe – founder of the “Travel Photographer of the Year 2020” said: “Travel photography in a global pandemic, with numerous travels bans, has been challenging to say the least, but travel photographers are a resourceful breed, as the latest set of winning images is a testament to. These winners are spectacular in their beauty, range, drama, elegance and, in some cases, poignancy. In tough times they will bring a warmth and joy to many and confirm that there is skill, insight, vision and art in travel photography.”

Notably, a few beautiful photos that won this year's award were taken in Vietnam, by both Vietnamese and foreign photographers.

Photographer Paul Sansome won the “Best Single Image” in Travel Folio with a photo entitled “Green Energy” capturing a local man drove his motorbike in a Hanoi’s street.

The photo entitled "Green Energy" by U.K photographer Paul Sansome.

“I had to exercise extreme patience to achieve this shot at a very busy junction in Hanoi where traffic from left, right and behind me would constantly block the desired image I spent an hour before, as I had hoped, just a single bike drove past part of the world’s longest mosaic mural producing an image that I call “Green Energy,” the photographer shared his experience.

Some photos shot in Vietnam are highly appreciated at the photography awards, including:

The photo of a fisherman throwing a fishing net by Hoai Nguyen Phuoc is ranked a high position in the folio of "People of the World". The photo was taken at An Hoa village, Tuy An district, Phu Yen province. As the fisherman casts his net, it looks like a heart in the sea.

The award-winning photo by Hoai Nguyen Phuoc.

Two photos of photographer Phan Khanh won the “special mention” category in the "Travel Folio".

The photo was taken in Vi Thanh city in the southern province of Hau Giang. Vi Thanh Agricultural Market is a farm produce trading place. The market is open from 2am to 10am. Residents and tourists often come here to visit and buy clean agricultural produce grown by people in the area.

Vi Thanh Agricultural Market - photo taken by Phan Khanh.

The photo was taken in Long Hai commune in the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau. The Long Hai fish market is the place to buy and sell seafood, especially dried squids. Thousands of fry trays are dried on rooftops and yards by hundreds of workers under intense sunlight and high temperatures.

The Long Hai fish market- photo taken by Phan Khanh.

This photo of Lan Ha Bay (Cat Ba island, the norther port city of Hai Phong) by Nguyen Tan Tuan was honored in the category "Islands". Lan Ha Bay covers an area of more than 7000 hectares, including a rather pristine archipelago consisting of about 400 large islands. On Lan Ha Bay, there is Cai Beo floating village, one of the largest ancient floating villages in Vietnam, dating from prehistoric times.

Lan Ha Bay- photo taken by Nguyen Tan Tuan.

The international Travel Photographer of the Year awards were founded in 2003 by professional photographer Chris Coe and his wife. Through this photo contest, the founders wish to prove that travel photography is much more than holiday snaps and pretty postcards.

Travel photography encompasses a wide range of genres and subjects, from landscape to food, from architecture to people and from reportage to wildlife and so on.