A corner of Hoi An ancient city

The cities are high on the top 10 list of cheapest places for travel in the 2019 Backpacker Index by Price of Travel, the world’s largest database of travel costs.

At the top of the list is Hanoi, with just 18.29 USD needed a day for backpackers, followed by HCM City with 19.47 USD.

The ancient city of Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam ranked 8th on the list with a daily budget of 21.20 USD.

Price of Travel ranked 137 major cities in the world based on the minimum amount of money budget travelers would need to spend a night in the cheapest bunk bed, two public transport rides, and entrance fee to one top attraction, and three simple meals and beer.

Vietnam recently added 35 countries to the list of those whose nationals can visit the country with an e-visa.

With new changes to the visa policies, Vietnam’s tourism industry hopes to welcome 17-20 million foreign visitors by 2020, earning revenue of 35 billion USD a year and contributing 10 percent to the country’s GDP.-VNA