Vietnam’s Halong Bay, which was officially inaugurated as one of the New7Wonders of Nature at the beginning of May, has seen a considerable rise in the number of international cruise travelers during the first five months of this year. According to the Pattaya Daily News, statistics provided by Quang Ninh Province, the home of Halong Bay, showed that 30,000 cruise-ship passengers visited the natural wonder since the beginning of 2012, a 22 percent increase on than same period last year. Among the popular cruise ships visiting the region are the Super Star Aquarius (Malaysia), the Princess Daphne (Australia), the Pacific Venus (Japan) and the Voyages of Discovery (UK).
Under the heading, “Massive rising in number of international cruise travelers to Halong Bay in the first 5 months of 2012”, the Pattaya Daily News noted that, “Halong Bay has become a preferred visiting destination for a huge number of international cruises in recent year. The reason is that the bay possesses and ideal location which is close to numerous crucial markets for cruise trips in Asia, including China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. Also, being continuously recognized by international travelers with various awards such as ‘New 7 Wonders of Nature’.”
