The Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park Management Board announced that at the awards ceremony in Maldives, the park received top honors in two categories: "Vietnam's Leading Nature Destination 2026" and "Asia's Leading National Park 2026". This marks the second consecutive year the park has been awarded these titles, having also received them in 2025.
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Dinh Huy Tri, Deputy Director of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park Management Board, represents the Board in receiving the World Travel Awards 2026. Photo: Anh Thanh. |
Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards (WTA) are widely recognized as the "Oscars of the tourism industry". The awards span three levels: national, regional, and world. Recipients are selected through online voting by tourism industry experts and consumers of travel services. Phong Nha - Ke Bang's two awards fall under the national and regional categories, respectively.
Dinh Huy Tri, Deputy Director of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, stated that while the two awards represent a significant honor, they also "place a higher responsibility on us to conserve nature and safeguard the values of the World Heritage site."
"We hope these awards will help introduce Phong Nha - Ke Bang, Quang Tri, and Vietnam to a wider global audience of tourists", Tri added.
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Phong Nha commune center viewed from above. Photo: Dac Thanh. |
Recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage site, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park encompasses a core zone of 123,326 hectares and a buffer zone of 220,055 hectares. The park shares a natural border with Hin Nam No National Park in Laos.
During the first seven months of 2026, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park welcomed over 810,000 visitors, representing 114% of the figures for the same period last year. This total included nearly 675,000 domestic tourists and over 135,000 international guests. Overall revenue reached 300 billion VND, an increase of 118% compared to the previous year.
The 2026 World Travel Awards marks the 33rd edition of the event. The regional ceremony for Asia, Oceania, and the Indian Ocean was held on 27/9 in Maldives, serving as the third stage in the Grand Tour 2026 series. The Grand Final is scheduled to take place in Tanzania on 12/12.
Dac Thanh
