Ninh Binh among world's 10 most welcoming regions

The ranking was based on an analysis of more than 240 million verified customer reviews on the Dutch-based online travel agency website Booking.com.

Around 90 kilometers south of Hanoi, Ninh Binh, home to Hoa Lu (the ancient capital of Vietnam during the reign of the Dinh Dynasty), had been overlooked by foreign tourists for years.

The province, known for its river boat tours through limestone karst mountain passes and paddy fields, started shining on global stage after the Hollywood movie "Kong: Skull Island" was filmed there in 2016.

La Rioja in Spain topped the list of most welcoming destinations, followed by Epirus in Greece and Oberosterreich of Austria.

Meanwhile, Polignano a Mare (Italy), Hualien city (Taiwan) and San Sebastían (Spain) topped the list of the top 10 most welcoming destinations in the world.

Last year, Hoi An in central Vietnam was honored as one of 10 most welcoming cities on Earth by Booking.com.

Translated by Nguyen Thuy