Phu Quoc – A paradise for holidaymakers

Kien Giang, September 24 (VNA) - Known as a pearl island, Phu Quoc in the southern province of Kien Giang has become a popular destination for holidaymakers from both at home and abroad. Phu Quoc is the first island city in Vietnam with full autonomy of a municipal-level administrative unit, creating a premise for the island to become a major economic, tourist and service hub in the region and the world. This also shows Vietnam’s strategy for developing its marine economy while maintaining security and defense on its islands and sea. From my airplane window, Phu Quoc appeared as a green sail full of wind in the middle of the sea. The middle-aged man sitting next to me on the plane made an interesting comparison that Phu Quoc looked like a miniature South America. Going nearly 50km from south to north Phu Quoc, almost everywhere are pristine beaches such as Sao, Dai, Truong, Ganh Dau, Khem and Thom beaches. Besides, deserted islets scattered around Phu Quoc's main island create an amazing scenery. Life in Phu Quoc is imbued with the culture of islanders with fishing villages, fishing ports and traditional craft villages making pearl, fish source and growing pepper. Yet, the local cuisine is perhaps the biggest attraction of Phu Quoc where fresh seafood are made with special local flavors that can not be found anywhere else. That's why, Phu Quoc has been praised as an appealing destination by major world newspapers and magazines. In 2020, Phu Quoc ranked 7th among top 15 emerging destinations in the world listed by TripAdvisior, the world's largest travel site. In 2019, US-based television network CNN placed Phu Quoc among 17 best places in Asia. In 2018, CNN also listed Phu Quoc as one of the top five Asia-Pacific destinations to visit in autumn. Venus Wong, The Telegraph's assistant content editor, called Phu Quoc "the paradise island" with "unbelievable sunsets" on Dai (Long) beach. She was also impressed by a local dish-Ham Ninh crab, which "was so fresh that it could almost stand up and scuttle away." According to the Administration of Tourism, tourist arrivals to Phu Quoc have constantly grown by 20-30% annually over the past few years. In 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19, Phu Quoc received nearly 6 million visitors, including nearly 1 million foreigners. As a result, the island has seen a boom in tourism investment in recent years. A host of luxury resorts and amusement complexes have been built, creating a new look for the island. They include Vinpearl Land, Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park, Vinpearl Safari, and Phu Quoc Casino. In December 2020, the National Assembly passed a resolution to set up Phu Quoc city in Kien Giang province, which was a turning point for the “pearl island” to develop into a tourist heaven, just like Phuket, Bali, or even the Maldives or Hawaii. It is also set to become a regional and international economic and service centre./.