Resorts will be included for the first time this year in the 13-year history of the “Vietnam’s best travel businesses” award, the organising committee announced at a press briefing in Hanoi on December 4.

The country’s two best resorts will be named at the “Vietnam’s best travel businesses 2011” award ceremony, to be held at the Hanoi Opera House on December 8 by the Vietnam National Tourism Administration and the Vietnam Tourism Association. 

As usual, awards will also be granted to the top ten three-star hotels, top ten four-star hotels, and top ten five-star hotels, as well as to the ten leading international travel businesses and ten leading domestic travel businesses. 

Last year, despite economic difficulties, the tourist sector still remained a bright point of Vietnam’s economy when it served around 6 million international visitors and 30 million domestic ones, earning around VND130 trillion in revenues. 

This year, the tourist sector has set a target of receiving 6.5 million international travellers. By the end of November, 6.03 million foreign visitors came to Vietnam, an increase of 11.4% over the same period last year. Among major markets of Vietnam’s tourism, the Republic of Korea showed the highest increase of 31.5%, followed by Malaysia and Thailand.