After 2 years of virtual competitions, Miss Earth is returning as a physical event in 2023.

The pageant will be held in Vietnam next year, as announced by Miss Earth Organization vice president Lorraine Schuck on Monday.

"I'm so happy [that] after 12 years, Miss Earth is back in Vietnam," she said during a program held at the Gem Center in Ho Chi Minh City, which was also livestreamed on the Miss Earth Facebook page.

"The journey has started. Thank you so much, Vietnam," she added.

Also present at the host country announcement event in Vietnam were Miss Earth 2021 Destiny Wagner of Belize and Miss Earth 2020 Lindsey Coffey of the United States.

When asked about the most important thing they are looking for in a Miss Earth representative, Schuck replied: "You have to have a heart and love our only home, Mother Earth. That's really the number one criteria."

"And to be able to give awareness to everyone they see... Love and care for the environment," she added.

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The 2023 edition of Miss Earth will be staged by Vietnam's Nova Entertainment at an 8,000-seater theater in the coastal resort city of Nha Trang.

A final date for the pageant has yet to be announced.