(VNF) - Vietnam ranks seventh in the list of the world’s top 20 fastest growing travel destinations, which was recently announced by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The UNWTO’s list was based on the assessment of upsurges in tourist arrivals. Accordingly, Vietnam saw a 24.6 per cent surge in the number of foreign visitors in 2016 compared to the previous year.

Hoi An Town, Vietnam.

Among Asian countries present on the list, Vietnam (seventh place) ranks third, behind Nepal (second place, 39.7 per cent) and the Republic of Korea (fourth place, 30.3 per cent).

Sierra Leone, a West African nation, topped the list with a 310 per cent increase in overseas arrivals in 2016 (74,400 arrivals) compared to 2015 (24,000 arrivals), which was thanks to the country being declared Ebola-free in November 2015.

The UNWTO also published a list of ten nations that saw sharp declines in last year’s foreign arrivals, including Egypt, Afghanistan, Turkey, Papua New Guinea, Suriname, Palau, Haiti, Belgium, Aruba and Laos.

Vietnam has been named as one of the world’s top tourist destinations several times in the past, such as the top 10 cheapest countries to travel in 2016 (voted by The Richest, the US), the top ideal countries for backpacking tourism in 2016 (by Rough Guides, the UK), and the top eco-friendly tourist destinations (by travel experts from Boundless Journeys and Adventure Life).

The top 20 fastest growing travel destinations

1.Sierra Leone +310%

2.Nepal +39.7%

3.Iceland +39%

4.South Korea +30.3%

5.Moldova +28.6%

6.Chile +26%

7.Vietnam +24.6%

8.Japan +21.8%

9.Liechtenstein +21.7%

10.Kiribati +21.6%

11.Kuwait +20.7%

12.Madagascar +20%

13.Cyprus +19.8%

14.Georgia +19%

15.Turks & Caicos +17.5%

16.Cook Islands +17.1%

17.Slovakia +16.9%

18.Kenya +16.8%

19.Tanzania +15.6%

20.Indonesia +15.5%

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