An image of Tam Đảo, a destination named in Agoda’s first Việt Nam’s New Horizons list of fast rising, lesser-known destinations. — Photo Courtesy of Agoda Vietnam

HCM CITY — The northern mountain retreat of Tam Đảo is among the destinations named in Agoda’s first Việt Nam’s New Horizons list of fast rising, lesser-known destinations.

The study, which compares year-on-year search data between 2022 and 2023, highlights emerging destinations that have seen huge growth in interest by travelers inside and outside of Việt Nam.

“While Việt Nam’s best-known and best-loved destinations have been well-covered and frequently explored by local travelers, in the past year, we have seen huge spikes in searches for some of the nation’s less-visited locales,” said Agoda Vietnam country director Vũ Ngọc Lâm.

“We wanted to take the opportunity then to look into a few of the locations off Việt Nam’s beaten path, and into the aspirations of its evolving travelers, who are often looking to expand their travel horizons and take the road less traveled,” Lâm said.

Leading the way was the northern mountain retreat of Tam Đảo, which saw an incredible 279 per cent increase in search traffic year on year.

Located just 80km from Hà Nội, and easily accessible by car, bus, motorbike – and even occasionally by the adventurous bicyclist – the stunning retreat, with its hotel-and-homestay dotted hills has proven an irresistible getaway to Hanoians seeking a quick respite from the busy capital.

Recording a 234 per cent increase in search volume was Bắc Ninh.

The spiritual epicenter of northern Việt Nam is just 40km from Hà Nội, and offers myriad options for culture-seekers and art-lovers, and famously features year-round traditional festivals, frequently in and around one of the region’s many pagodas and temples.

Staying in the north, beach town Sầm Sơn clocked 228 per cent growth off the back of a particularly hot northern summer, and as the area has grown in popularity for its sandy shores and rolling seas.

Located off the coast of resort-meccas Phan Thiết, Phú Quý Island – ably assisted by influencers drawn by its irresistibly Instagrammable endless-horizons - the tiny isle, with its comfy homestays, saw interest in its gorgeous scenery spike by an impressive 180 per cent more searches year on year.

“Việt Nam has so much to offer, and we are seeing huge spikes in a number of second and third tier destinations,” Lâm said.

Rounding out the 2023 list of Việt Nam’s New Horizons is Quy Nhơn. The expansion of resorts and infrastructure to the city has seen a rise in interest from Agoda users to the tune of 178 per cent in the past year, thanks also to its stunning beaches and fabulous cuisine.

Honorable mentions in the 2023 roundup included Cát Bà Island (127 per cent), Tuy Hoà, which saw search traffic more than double (103 per cent), and mountainous Yen Bai, which almost doubled (88 per cent). — VNS