World Travel Awards (WTA) is the most prestigious awards program across all sectors of the tourism industry, considered the ‘Oscars of Tourism’. In 2021 for the first time, Vietnam has won the title of Asia’s Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination. This highly regarded award once again affirms the potential and attractiveness of Vietnam tourism to international visitors.

The nominees for this award were Nepal (the owner of this title in 2019, 2020), Thailand, Indonesia, and Laos. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) proclaimed that sustainable tourism development contributes significantly to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Sustainable tourism development is also a key theme in Vietnam’s tourism development strategy, which clearly states the view “Sustainable and inclusive tourism development, based on green growth, maximizing the tourism’s contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals; effectively manage and use natural resources, protect the environment and biodiversity, proactively adapt to climate change, and ensure national defense and security”.