Vietnam would be the 5th most popular destination in Asia for American travelers if they were to choose a place for sightseeing during the first half of next year, a recent survey found. Results of a poll of 29,000 American travelers by Conde Nast Travelers magazine placed Vietnam only behind Thailand, Hong Kong, China, and Japan, and ahead of India, Malaysia, and Singapore. South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Myanmar are also mentioned in the list.

Among the respondents visiting Asia this year, 39 per cent visited Hong Kong, 33 percent China and 29 per cent Thailand. Ninety percent expressed a desire to visit Asia and Lisa Hughes, an executive at the Conde Nast Traveler research center, attributed this to Asia's abundant cultural heritages. Vietnam’s tourism authorities said the number of American tourists to the country had increased by 22 percent in the 11 months leading up to November.