“It's no surprise the UNESCO-protected ancient town of Hoi An in Viet Nam's central coast is a mecca for tourists. Sitting in the shade, glass in hand, watching the world go by, is every bit as relaxing as an afternoon on the town's long stretch of sand,” CNN said on its website.

Some others on CNN’s top 16 list are Ise Jingu in Japan, the Yoga Barn in Bali, Sidi Chamharouch in Morocco, Saruni Samburu Safari Camp in Kenya, Nayara Springs in Costa Rica, and Wilderness Hotel in Finland.

The UK’s renowned travel site Rough Guides earlier put Hoi An City on the list of the top 10 intriguing travel destinations in Southeast Asia. The town also secured the seventh position among the world’s 15 best cities by the US travel site www.travelandleisure.com last year.

Data from Hoi An authorities indicates that in the first half of 2018, the number of visitors to Hoi An surged 70% year- on-year to around 2.68 million, including some two million international tourists, a 230% increase. The city’s total tourism revenue rose to VND2,010 billion.