Where? A small island group in the South China Sea claimed in their entirety by China and Vietnam and in part by Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia – because of potential oil and gas reserves.

Recent reports state that Vietnam is considering its first-ever tours to the disputed Spratly Islands. China and the Philippines said that they welcomed efforts to explore and develop the Spratlys jointly.

An official in Vietnam’s central Khanh Hoa province, which incorporates the Spratlys as one of its districts, said there had been no tours to the remote islands so far. The official did not anticipate a rush for tickets. “They are too far away, it takes two days to travel so nobody wants to travel there,” she said.