Vietnam has ranked first among the list of must-visit destinations for 2023, according to Alapati Krishna Mohan, Managing Director of Southern Travels Company. 

Hanoi is one of the must-see destinations in Vietnam. Photo: Khanh Huy/The Hanoi Times

The list also included Cambodia, Spain, Greece, South Africa, Hua Hin – Thailand, and Iceland, according to the Indian travel company’s managing director.

According to him, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Sapa (the northern province of Lao Cai), Nha Trang (the central province of Khanh Hoa), the Mekong Delta, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay (the northern province of Quang Ninh) is the must-see destinations in Vietnam.

The list described Vietnam as a popular destination for tourists and one of the more affordable nations to lure visitors from India. The travelers are believed to have satisfied trips to Vietnam thanks to the country’s tremendous natural beauty, culture, and history.

Mohan suggested adventure activities like sightseeing, boat or yacht cruises, market tours, caving, cultural tours, island tours, and wildlife tours are popular among tourists.

Tourists visit Sun World's Hon Thom Nature Park. Photo: Huong Thao/The Hanoi Times

In 2022, as the world began to open up again after more than two years of travel restrictions due to the unprecedented pandemic, Southern Travels Company encouraged people to hit the road, asking, "What better way to embrace this independence than to travel and see new places?"

While most travel enthusiasts had been denied the opportunity to visit exotic destinations across the globe during the pandemic, the restrictions are finally over, and globe-trotters can now fulfill their wishes this year, the company noted.

Localities and tourism businesses will take initiatives soon to attract more foreign tourists in this year's high season as the smokeless industry has not recovered as expected. 

In 2022, Vietnam welcomed some 3.5 million international visitors, reaching 70% of the target of five million arrivals, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The country has resumed the visa waiver policy for citizens of 13 countries after two years of border closures due to Covid-19. Meanwhile, Malaysia and Singapore have exempted visas for travelers from 162 countries, the Philippines from 157 countries, and Thailand from 65 countries.

Hanoi ready to welcome back international visitors

As one of the major tourist hubs of the country, in 2022, Hanoi has implemented 172 groups of activities, many of which have attracted great attention, creating momentum for the tourism market.

Local tour operators have actively introduced many new tourism products to lure more guests over the past time.

Speaking at an online conference last December, Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh wanted to address visa issues, including simplifying administrative procedures for granting Vietnam's electronic visas and extending visa-free stay for travelers from some key source markets to 30 days from 15 currently.

He also proposed extending support policies for tourism businesses, completing the overall plan for Vietnam’s tourism development, and strengthening tourism promotion activities.

The Hanoi Department of Tourism has recently reported that some 17 million visitors came to the city in the past 11 months, a five-fold increase from last year.

The figure included 1.27 million international tourists, fulfilling the full-year expectation, and nearly 16 million domestic travelers. Tourism activities have brought a total revenue of VND48.35 trillion (US$1.9 billion) to the city’s income.