Readers of travel guide publisher Rough Guides have chosen Vietnam as one of the 20 most beautiful destinations in the world to visit.

According to the British publisher, impressive rock formations in Ha Long Bay in northern Quang Ninh province, a four-hour drive to the west of Hanoi capital, and terraced rice fields in Sa Pa town in northern mountainous Lao Cai province are among "not-to-be-missed" sites in Vietnam, daily newspaper Vietnam News reported Friday.

Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh, which opened in December 2018, has made it easier for foreign tourists to visit the world heritage site of Ha Long Bay, which was named among the world's seven new natural wonders by Swiss organization New Open World in 2011.

Foreign visitors to Vietnam rose 19.9 percent to a record high of nearly 15.5 million in 2018, making it the world's fourth fastest-growing travel destination, according to a World Tourism Organization report.

Vietnam is one of three Asian countries on Rough Guides' list, ranked 20th, while India was placed 13th and Indonesia sixth.