Vietnam welcomed 13.9 million international arrivals during the first seven months this year, up 13.8% from a year earlier, as the country's image as a safe and stable destination continued to attract travelers amid geopolitical tensions worldwide.
Vietnam surpassed Thailand to become the second largest Southeast Asian aviation market with 7.4 million seats in July, an increase in capacity of 5.6% year-on-year, according to a report by British aviation analytics firm OAG.
Ho Chi Minh City has overtaken renowned culinary hubs in Southeast Asia such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to claim the top spot in Time Out's global ranking of street food cities for the first time.
Phu Quoc, voted Asia's most beautiful island by readers of Condé Nast Traveler, received 6.8 million tourists in the first seven months this year, up 30% year-on-year and meeting 80% of this year's target.
Security officers at Alabama's Gulf Shores International Airport in the U.S. were shocked to discover a passenger's checked bag containing what officials described as a stolen historic relic — five Civil War-era cannonballs wrapped in paper towels.
An Indonesian man was arrested after allegedly verbally abusing and threatening airline staff and immigration officers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport's Terminal 1 when his flight was delayed by five hours.
A Vietnamese restaurant in Hong Kong that refuses to tone down its idiosyncratic Vietnamese flavors to suit local palates has won Michelin honors for three straight years.