Posted 11 Mar 2010

Gap year travellers planning a trip to Asia may want to bookmark Vietnam as a potential stop-off, as the country has been placed second in a list of upcoming destinations.

The 2010 Virtuoso Luxe Report takes into account feedback from travel providers and advisers, new holiday hot-spots, comparisons with 2009 figures and seeks to reflect booking trends.

Vietnam was beaten to the number one position by India, but managed to come slightly above the other entrants in the top five – Cuba, the Galapagos Islands, China and Chile.

Matthew Upchurch, chief executive officer at Virtuoso, commented that despite traditional favourites like Australia and Italy being high on people’s wish lists, "the results point to new interest in emerging destinations such as India, Vietnam and Cuba."

Last month, news provider Thanh Nien recommended that visitors check out the turn of the nation’s lunar new year – known locally as Tet – at the town of Sa Dec, as the area blossoms into a colourful flower market for the occasion.

Category: Asia