QUẢNG TRỊ — Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park in the central province of Quảng Trị has won two honours at the World Travel Awards 2026 for Asia, Oceania and the Indian Ocean, held in the Maldives on September 27.

According to the park's management board, it was named Asia's Leading National Park 2026 and Việt Nam's Leading Nature Destination 2026. The awards reaffirm the destination's international appeal, underpinned by its distinctive karst landscapes, spectacular cave and underground river systems, and rich biodiversity.

Đinh Huy Trí, Deputy Director of the Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park Management Board, said the awards were both an honour and a responsibility, requiring the park to further strengthen conservation efforts and sustainably promote its heritage values.

At the ceremony, the park's delegation also promoted its tourism products and natural heritage to international media outlets, tourism businesses, and organisations.

The latest honours come as Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng continues to promote nature-based tourism in tandem with conservation. Its karst mountains, caves, underground rivers, and tropical forests provide an ideal foundation for adventure and nature-based experiences.

The park was also named Asia's Leading National Park 2025 by the World Travel Awards.

The latest honours are expected to further raise the profile of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng and Quảng Trị's tourism sector in international markets, while supporting the development of high-quality and sustainable tourism products.

In the first six months of the year, the national park welcomed more than 587,000 visitors, up 14 per cent year on year. — VNA/VNS