In March, South Korean TV and film star Lee Da-hee traveled to the central beach city of Da Nang to enjoy her birthday party with her parents and friends.
She stayed at a 5-star resort right on Ha My Beach, 22 km from Da Nang center and about 7 km from Hoi An ancient town.
The resort is a familiar spot for the wealthy and international clientele due to expensive room prices.
A night's stay costs from more than VND10 million to over 100 million per night, depending on the room.
During this trip, she spent time exploring pristine beaches and natural landscapes in central Vietnam and enjoyed the local seafood.
Also in March, South Korean actor Jung Kyung Ho and his girlfriend visited the beach city of Nha Trang where he stayed at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay along a secluded peninsula.
The resort has 62 villas surrounded by lush greenery and is one of few resorts in Vietnam to protect critically-endangered, black-shanked douc langurs.
The only way to access the resort is by boat, which takes around 20 minutes.
Jung started his film career in 2004 and is known for his roles in "I'm Sorry, I Love You" (2004), "Smile, You" (2009) and "Heartless City" (2013).
In May, Hong Kong actress and singer Myolie Wu and her husband Philip Lee visited Phu Quoc, Vietnam's biggest island in the south, where they booked the five-star Regent Villas & Resort Phu Quoc and went on a cruise tour.
The couple watched the sunset on Long Beach and enjoyed Vietnamese seafood.
The resort opened in April 2021 and features 302 suites and villas, six restaurants and bars, and is next to a UNESCO-recognized world biosphere reserve.
Thai celebrity Pimtha (L) and actor Thiti Mahayotaruk poses for photos on the Golden Bridge during their trip to Da Nang in July.
Designed by architect Vu Viet Anh and his team, the Golden Bridge, 150 meters long and 12.8 meters wide, was designed as a giant hand made of fiberglass and mesh wire.
It acquired global fame soon after it opened in June 2018, attracting extensive media coverage and drawing visitors from all over the world.
Pimtha expressed her love for Vietnamese pho noodle soup and praised dish as "very delicious."
Pimtha is one of the most popular celebrities in Thailand with three million followers on Instagram while Thiti is known for his role in "Non in Hormones: The Series."
Also in July, singer-actress Eugene and husband Ki Tae Young enjoyed a holiday with their two daughters at a luxury resort in the north of Cam Ranh Peninsula, around 40 kilometers from downtown Nha Trang in central Vietnam.
The resort has over 500 accommodations, including hotel rooms and villas. Eugene’s family chose to stay at a pool villa, which overlooks the sea.
Their family spent most of the time inside the rented villa where they were treated to a Western-style breakfast, which includes pastries, cold cuts, fruits, cereals, and juices.
In September, Hong Kong actress Bernice Liu visited the southern resort island of Phu Quoc where she stayed at Regent Phu Quoc Resort.
On her Instagram, she posted photos of local dishes that she tried during her trip such as grilled lobster, pho bo (beef noodle soup), seafood fried rice, stir-fried water spinach with garlic and fresh coconut water.
Liu rose to fame when she won Miss Chinese International 2001, initiating her move from Canada to Hong Kong where she had to learn Cantonese before scoring her first role in the long-running TVB sitcom, Virtues of Harmony (2001- 2002).
In October, Thai actress Prang Kannarun with six million followers on Instagram enjoyed a short holiday at a luxury resort in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan, famous for its pristine beaches.
She stayed at Amanoi Resort inside Nui Chua National Park, the first six-star resort in Vietnam with its most luxurious villa costing $8,000 a night.
In addition to enjoying fresh air inside the national park, she experienced some activities such as trekking to the peak of Mount Chua at a height of 1,000 meters above sea level.
In November, South Korean pop star Lee Hyori visited Thao Dien, home to the largest expat community in Ho Chi Minh City and enjoyed iced milk coffee and vegetarian dishes.
She took photos at Alley 28 in Thao Dien and posted them on her Instagram account with 1 million followers.
The alley is known as a green oasis of HCMC, dotted with a series of restaurants, cafes, clothing stores, and craft shops surrounded by trees.
She also enjoyed vegetarian dishes at a restaurant and joined a yoga class.
The arrival of these Asian celebrities contributed to boosting Vietnam’s reputation on global tourism map as the country achieved 12.5 million foreign tourists so far this year, surpassing the initial target set earlier this year at 8 million.
South Korea is now Vietnam’s biggest source of foreign tourists with 3.2 million arrivals, near pre-pandemic numbers.
Thailand sent the sixth-highest number of foreign visitors to Vietnam this year, 442,000.
