Phong Nha - Ke Bang and Ta Xua win the 'Oscars of tourism'.

On the evening of September 27th, the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2026 for Asia, Oceania, and the Indian Ocean region took place in the Maldives, with numerous awards presented to destinations, businesses, and tourism products in the region.

Founded in 1993, the World Travel Awards (WTA) is often referred to as the "Oscars of the travel industry." The awards system comprises three levels: national, regional, and world . Winners are selected through online voting by travel industry experts and consumers.

At the regional level, Vietnam was honored as "Asia's Leading Destination" and "Asia's Leading Heritage Destination". Hanoi received the "Asia's Leading Tourist City" award, while Ho Chi Minh City was awarded the title of "Asia's Leading Business and Travel Destination".

Vietnam's tourism sector also made its mark in many other categories, with numerous domestic businesses, destinations, and products being recognized.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang receives a "double win".

Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park received two consecutive awards: "Vietnam's Leading Nature Destination" and "Asia's Leading National Park" at the WTA 2026.

"These two awards are both an honor and place higher demands on the conservation of nature and World Heritage values. Conservation will always be the foundation for Phong Nha - Ke Bang to develop sustainable tourism and attract international tourists," said Mr. Dinh Huy Tri, Deputy Director of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, located in Quang Binh province (now Quang Tri province), covers an area of ​​over 123,300 hectares and is recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site. It is famous for its system of limestone mountains millions of years old, numerous caves, and diverse ecosystem.

The national park is home to over 2,700 plant species, approximately 200 bird species, and 154 mammal species. It is also home to famous caves such as Son Doong, touted as the world's largest cave, and Phong Nha Cave with its underground river system, stalactites, and stalagmites.

Visitors to Phong Nha - Ke Bang can participate in guided cave exploration tours, jungle trekking, river swimming, zip-lining, or wildlife observation, including the chance to spot rare species such as the Ha Tinh langur.

Many eco-lodges and accommodations around the national park also offer nature-based vacation experiences, combining conservation efforts with support for the local community.

Ta Xua receives honor for the first time.

Ta Xua received the "Leading Emerging Tourist Destination in Asia 2026" award, marking its first participation in the awards and winning in this category.

In July, the WTA announced the list of nominees for the Asian region. Ta Xua and Ninh Binh were the two representatives from Vietnam competing against Koh Kood (Thailand), Melaka (Malaysia), Morioka (Japan), Sumba Island (Indonesia), and Taipei (Taiwan, China).

Ta Xua is located at an altitude of over 2,800 meters above sea level, in Ta Xua commune, Son La province, bordering Tram Tau commune, Lao Cai province. This destination is about 240 km from Hanoi, enjoys a cool climate year-round, and is famous for its cloud-hunting activities from October to April.

Ta Xua's terrain features narrow, steep roads flanked by deep ravines. Besides traveling by motorbike or car, visitors can trek to the summit of Ta Xua via routes of varying lengths from either Yen Bai or Son La provinces.

Many other destinations were mentioned.

The Tam Chuc complex received two awards: "Asia's Leading Cultural Tourism Destination 2026" and "Vietnam's Leading Cultural Tourism Destination 2026". This is a large tourism, cultural, and spiritual complex connecting four provinces: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Hung Yen, and Phu Tho.

The complex boasts a vast landscape, with mountains and lakes forming the "Six Mountains in the Front, Seven Stars in the Back" formation. It is surrounded on three sides by the Seven Stars mountain range, while six mountains rise in front of the lake, likened to six Buddhist bells.

Tam Chuc Pagoda comprises main structures such as the Jade Tower, the Three Worlds Hall, the Main Hall, the Ancestor Hall, the Four Graces Hall, and the Inner Three-Gate Entrance.

In other categories, Ha Long International Cruise Port was honored as "Asia's Leading Cruise Port," while Moc Chau received the "Asia's Leading Regional Nature Destination 2026" award, for the fifth consecutive time since 2022.

Source: https://lifestyle.zingnews.vn/phong-nha-ke-bang-va-ta-xua-thang-oscar-du-lich-post1686089.html