The ranking was based on an analysis of more than 240 million verified customer reviews on the Dutch-based online travel agency website Booking.com.
Around 90 kilometers south of Hanoi, Ninh Binh, home to Hoa Lu (the ancient capital of Vietnam during the reign of the Dinh Dynasty 968-980), had been overlooked by foreign tourists for years.
The province, known for its river boat tours through limestone karst mountain passes and paddy fields, started shining on global stage after the Hollywood movie "Kong: Skull Island" was filmed there in 2016.
La Rioja in Spain topped the list of most welcoming destinations, followed by Epirus in Greece and Oberosterreich, or Upper Austria.
The ranking is just one part of Booking.com’s eleventh annual Traveler Review Awards, an honor given out to 1,364,415 accommodation partners, 230 car rental providers, and 58 airport taxi suppliers across 220 countries and territories.
Last year, Hoi An in central Vietnam was honored as one of 10 most welcoming cities on Earth by Booking.com.