Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam.
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Thanks to a 3,000km coastline, Vietnam has a host of beautiful beaches, bays, and islands that are ideal for sea travel, such as Ha Long Bay, Tra Co Beach, the islands of Co To, Quan Lan, Ngoc Vung, and Cai Chien (in the northern province of Quang Ninh), and many beautiful beaches on the country’s largest island, Phu Quoc, that lies just off the southern coast.
The UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay has always been one of Vietnam’s best-known tourism magnets which many international travel sites have selected as one of the most amazing natural wonders in Asia and the world. It was used to film the Hollywood blockbuster “Kong: Skull Island,” which hit the theaters last March. The best time to take a trip to Ha Long Bay is from April to October.
Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing tourism markets in the world, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s survey. In 2017, Vietnam welcomed nearly 13 million international tourists, up 29.1% against 2016.
Vietnam now ranks sixth among regional cruise tourism markets, with around 404 calls in 2017. The volume of cruise travellers from Asia has increased from 774,000 in 2012 to more than 3 million in 2016. The number for 2017 was projected to be 4.2 million passengers by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
