Foreign tourists visit Hoi An ancient town in central Vietnam, 2019. (Photo by VnExpress/Nick M)

The result was based on votes cast by travel industry professionals and the public, with the nominee gaining the most votes in a category named as the winner.

Hoi An served as a busy international port from the 16th to 19th centuries, as merchant ships from many different countries passed by here.  

Hoi An was recognized as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 1998.

World Travel Awards was first launched in 1993 to acknowledge excellence in the travel and tourism industry. It has been heralded the "travel industry's equivalent of the Oscars" byThe Wall Street Journal.