Hong Kong-Taipei continued to be the world’s busiest international route this year with 6.8 million seats, a modest 1% increase compared with 2024, according to data from British aviation firm OAG.
Visitors reaching the summit of Fansipan in the northern province of Lao Cai were delighted to witness a rare natural scene as ice coated the peak in white early on the morning of Dec. 25.
Foreign visitors were surprised by the bustling atmosphere on Christmas Eve in Vietnam and streets and churches being filled with crowds of people late into the night.
Thailand, the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, received 31.76 million foreign visitors so far this year, down 7.25% from the same period a year earlier.
Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, received 12.76 million foreign arrivals between January and October this year, marking a 10.32% year-on-year increase.
Hong Kong was named the world’s second most visited city for international arrivals this year, after Thailand’s Bangkok, with 23.2 million visitors, according to global market research company Euromonitor International.