Holiday enthusiasts around the world have expressed a growing interest in coastal Da Nang, one of Vietnam’s five largest cities. The list of trending destinations for 2020 is based on Google Hotel Search Data including search frequency, popularity, price, as well as travel conditions.

"The sandy beaches in Da Nang, the nightlife of Sao Paulo and Korean barbecue in Seoul are the first things those planning their vacation consider," Google reported Thursday. 

"People from all over the world are interested in traveling to these destinations in 2020," the world's biggest search engine said.

Sao Paolo in Brazil came second, followed by Seoul in South Korea. Japan’s Tokyo ranked fourth while Israel’s Tel Aviv, famous for its beaches, warm weather, and bustling nightlife, rounded out the top five.

France’s Marseille, Vienna in Austria, Thailand’s Bangkok, Dubai in United Arab Emirates and Australia’s Perth concluded the top 10.

Da Nang, home to beautiful My Khe Beach and neighbor to popular ancient town Hoi An, is well regarded for its long, sandy beaches. The central city, which has won global attention for its annual international fireworks competitions in June-July and its spectacular Golden Bridge, has improved on transport, healthcare, commercial, and services infrastructure to cope with the surge of tourists.

An aerial view of Da Nang City in central Vietnam. Photo acquired by VnExpress.

Last year, Da Nang received 3.5 million foreign tourists, up 22.5 percent against 2018, according to the local tourism department. Arrivals from South Korea, mainland China, Japan and Hong Kong show the highest growth rates.

Several new international flights now connect Da Nang with other Asian destinations, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. The city currently operates a total of 35 international routes with a frequency of 496 flights a week and 10 domestic routes with a frequency of 662 flights per week, the tourism department said.

A local peddler is reflected in the clear waters of My Khe, one of Asia's most
beautiful beaches. Photo by VnExpress/Cao Anh Tuan.

The New York Times last year ranked Da Nang among 52 best places to go in 2019, dubbing it "the Miami of Vietnam." Da Nang was named among the 100 most visited global destinations, according to annual Top City Destinations Ranking released by global business intelligence firm Euromonitor International last month.