Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s biggest tourism island in Kien Giang province, is fondly called the Pearl Island. Phu Quoc attracts tourists for its sunny paradise and green tropical trees. After the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism in Phu Quoc island has recovered. The island is a favorite destination during the Lunar New Year.
Phu Quoc has many white-sand, crystal-clear beaches.
The number of tourists to Phu Quoc during Tet holiday has increased with hotels and resorts operating at 80% of room capacity. Amusement parks such as Hon Thom Cable Car, Safari, Vinwonders, and Grand World, and Phu Quoc Night Market have been packed with visitors.
Le Trung Thuc, Director of External Affairs of Sunset Sanato Resort & Villa, said that the resort's room capacity is more than 80% full. It will have gifts for guests on the first day of the New Year and organize out-door music programs, light parties, and seafood parties.
“We now see a good sign as room capacity has reached more than 80%. Bookings are different from what they were before the epidemic. In the past customers would book a room far in advance, but now they book rooms close to the holiday,” said Thuc.
Nguyen Vu Khac Huy, General Director of Vina Phu Quoc Tourism Company, said that this year more foreigners living and working in Vietnam come to Phu Quoc for winter vacation. Phu Quoc is offering several shows and music festivals. Huy said: “We expect to serve 1,200 Vietnamese and foreign guests during the Lunar New Year holiday. Foreign guests come from India, South Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan (China).”
The two most popular tours in Phu Quoc are beach tour to experience the close-to-nature life of fishermen and the tour to explore the primeval national forest.
Luong Hoang Bich Loan, Deputy Director of Vietravel Phu Quoc branch, said: “Compared to before the epidemic, tourism demand has changed. People are looking for new tours close to nature. Vietravel offers cycling tours through the forest, kayak on the estuary river, and camping. During Solar New Year holiday, we served about 500 guests.”
An Thoi island in Phu Quoc (photo: Vinpearls)
Huynh Quang Hung, Chairman of Phu Quoc City’s People’s Committee, said that late last year Phu Quoc welcomed a large number of visitors, with an average of 90 to 100 flights per day. Tourists stay mainly in Nam An Thoi area because there are many new and diverse performances.
“Currently, room has capacity reached 80-90%, even at 100% at some tourism complexes. To prepare for the Lunar New Year, the City People's Committee has asked sectors and organizations, including Phu Quoc Tourism Association and Phu Quoc Development Investment Association, to work together to best serve tourists,” said Hung.
Last year, Kien Giang province welcomed more than 7.5 million visitors, ranking first in seven provinces and cities in the western Mekong Delta in terms of tourist attraction. Phu Quoc alone received about 4.7 million visitors, including 191,000 foreign visitors. Kien Giang aims to welcome 8.3 million tourists this year, including 400,000 foreigners.
Tran Hieu
