We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: 2023 is absolutely the year of the romcom. And Rachael Leigh Cook’s dreamy destination romance, A Tourist’s Guide To Love, is one we’re really looking forward to watching this year.

Set in Vietnam over Tết, the Vietnamese lunar new year, it promises to deliver all the classic romcom tropes we know and love – as well as a bevy of sweeping vistas, panoramic views, famous landmarks and beautiful beaches.

All that’s left for you to do is get ready to explore Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hội An and My Son Sanctuary alongside Cook’s character, Amanda. Ideally with a bag of popcorn or tortilla chips in tow.

Here’s what you need to know, then, about the new Netflix movie.

What’s the plot of A Tourist’s Guide To Love?

As mentioned already, Cook plays Amanda, a travel executive who goes undercover on a group tour in Vietnam after an unexpected breakup throws her into a spiral.

“There she meets charismatic and freewheeling expat guide Sinh, who shows Amanda and her fellow travellers that adventure – and love – is often found off the beaten path,” promises the synopsis.

We’re sold.

Who stars in A Tourist’s Guide To Love?

Cook – of she of She’s All That and Love Guaranteed fame – is getting back to her romcom roots as the leading lady of A Tourist’s Guide To Love.

“I can’t quit you, romcoms! I just can’t stay away,” she tells Tudum. “I am a lover of love.”

Scott Ly, meanwhile, stars opposite Cook as Sinh, and describes his character as a “happy go-lucky, very loving person who just loves life and lives in the moment. He always goes for it, kind of like me.” 

The duo are joined by Missi Pyle, Ben Feldman, Glynn Sweet, Alexa Povah, Jacqueline Correa, Nondumiso Tembe, Andrew Barth Feldman and Morgan Lynee Dudley, as well as popular Vietnamese stars Nsưt Lê Thiện and Quinn Trúc Trần.

What are people saying about A Tourist’s Guide To Love?

Screenwriter Eirene Tran Donohue, who based the events of A Tourist’s Guide To Love on her own dramatic breakup on the eve of a five-week trip to Vietnam, tells Tudum: “There are almost no American movies set in Vietnam that aren’t about the trauma of war. It was really important to me to tell a story about life now. One that was full of joy and love and celebration.”

She adds: “I wanted to change the conversation about Vietnam, to highlight it as a modern thriving country whose stories are worthy of being told.” 

Donohue finishes: “Tết is a holiday that focuses on new beginnings.

“Releasing the past year and stepping into a new one, opening yourself up to opportunity and setting intentions and seeking good fortune. [And] creating the life that you were meant to live.”

When can we watch A Tourist’s Guide To Love?

A Tourist’s Guide To Love will be available to stream on 27 April.

Images: Netflix