A lotus field in Hoa Lư District, Ninh Bình Province. Ninh Bình has been ranked seventh in the Most Welcoming Regions On Earth, a category of the Booking.com Traveller Review Awards 2023. VNA/VNS Photo Thùy Dung

HÀ NỘI The prestigious travel booking platform, Booking.com, has listed Việt Nam's northern province of Ninh Bình among the ten most welcoming regions in the world.

Ninh Bình has been ranked seventh in the Most Welcoming Regions On Earth, a category of the Traveller Review Awards 2023, by the leading digital hotel booking service that covers more than 220 countries and territories.

Along with Việt Nam's Ninh Bình, La Rioja of Spain, Epirus of Greek, Oberosterreich of Austria, County Down of the UK, Mures of Romania, Marlborough of New Zealand, Limon of Costa Rica, Newfoundland & Labrador of Canada and North Dakota of the US were also named.

Famous tourist site

Ninh Bình, 90km southeast of Hà Nội, has rich cultural and spiritual tourism potential. It also boasts a charming natural landscape and many unique and amazing caves. It was home to the ancient capital of Hoa Lư during the reign of the Đinh dynasty (968-980).

With unique artistic, geological, geomorphic, and landscape values and traces of pre-historic life, the Tràng An Landscape Complex of Ninh Bình was recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site in June 2014, becoming the first mixed natural and cultural property in Việt Nam.

It is also home to several attractions recognised as special national heritage sites.

Booking.com also announced Phong Nha and Đồng Hới as two landmarks in the central province of Quảng Bình Province that are in the top 10 friendliest destinations in Việt Nam for 2023, the 1st and 8th, respectively.

Based on a pool of over 240 million verified customer reviews on Booking.com, the Traveller Review Awards 2023 recognises travel providers from across 220 countries and territories, including Việt Nam, for their commitment to providing consistently excellent service and hospitality over the year.

For 2023, it has revealed the Most Welcoming Cities in Việt Nam for travellers to experience the best in hospitality and friendliness for a truly memorable travel experience. Beach cities continue to be the most favoured place for holidays, with six out of 10 cities being beach destinations.

This year, the Traveller Review Awards honours 1.36 million accommodation service suppliers worldwide in terms of hospitality level, including more than 10,000 in Việt Nam.

Hotels continue to take the top spot as the most-awarded property type in the country, with 4,190 partners being recognised for their efforts, according to a report on vietreader.com.

Apartments claim the second spot with 1,587 properties being awarded, followed by homestays (1,467), guest houses (411) and aparthotels (439), the report said.

Global travel conditions

As travel continues to make its return in most parts of the world, Booking.com revealed apartments and homes continue to shine as the most-awarded property type globally, with apartments taking the top spot for the sixth year in a row, with a total of 629,421 partners being recognised for their efforts in the 2023 edition of the Traveller Review Awards.

Also, for the first time in the award's history, holiday homes have claimed the second spot from hotels, with guest houses and bed and breakfasts rounding out the top five.

When it comes to the countries being recognised with the most awards for homes, apartments and other unique places to stay, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and Croatia lead the way.

To be recognised with an award, Booking.com requested accommodation partners to have an average review score of 8.0 out of 10 or higher based on at least three reviews as of 11.59pm on November 30, 2022. Car rental partners had to have an average review score of 8.5 out of 10 or higher based on at least 20 reviews.

Only customers that have stayed at an accommodation, rented a car or a taxi can leave a review of their experience on Booking.com. As these reviews are never edited or adjusted, travellers can reference them for an authentic account of the real experience at every place to stay or with every ground transport provider.

Arjan Dijk, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer for Booking.com, commented: “It’s that personal attention to detail when checking in or sharing helpful recommendations to explore the destination like a local that demonstrates how our partners show up and shine for travellers in a multitude of ways each and every day."

The official said the awards were regarded as a way to thank partners for their dedication to making everyone feel welcome and going out of their way to create incredible customer experiences.

"Whether it’s a friendly greeting from a taxi driver at the airport, sharing some local driving tips at the car rental counter or a thoughtful note waiting in the room, our passionate partners help make every trip more special,” Dijk said on Booking.com. VNS