Rendering of the convention and exhibition center to be used for the APEC 2027 Summit.
Shaping a new stature for Phu Quoc
Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, believes that APEC 2027 presents both opportunities and challenges. Phu Quoc started from a very low point, but today we see Phu Quoc at a high level.
Achieving this has been a long process. Over 20 years, from a pristine area to its current scale and world-class appearance, Phu Quoc has undergone a very difficult journey, requiring not only hard work and intelligence but also the mobilization of resources and overcoming institutional obstacles. Phu Quoc's production value has increased by an average of 38% annually, six times the national average. Per capita income has increased 20 times compared to 2014. Phu Quoc has created its own miracle.
“Phu Quoc is increasingly proving itself to be a ‘promising destination’ for major domestic and international brands. Along with the arrival of these brands come prestigious accolades bestowed upon Phu Quoc by the world . This is important evidence of Phu Quoc’s increasingly prominent position on the international tourism map,” emphasized Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dinh Thien.
Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dinh Thien delivered a speech.
He believes that APEC 2027 is a historic opportunity that Phu Quoc must seize. This view was agreed upon very early on and is an unmissable opportunity. The APEC event is not just a single activity, but will contribute to shaping the future of Phu Quoc in the next one to two years. It will be the image of a Phu Quoc developed to a new level.
“Phu Quoc is making rapid progress to ‘surpass’ Vietnam. Vietnamese history is associated with heroic achievements marked by the words ‘rapid’ and ‘surpassing’ progress. Today, in the new era of development, that spirit remains intact. Phu Quoc is proving that Vietnam is a capable and responsible nation, not only capable of doing things quickly but also of making them beautiful, civilized, and preserving their cultural identity,” shared Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dinh Thien.
On December 12th, in Hoang Hon town, Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone (An Giang province), the workshop "Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone - Taking Off with APEC," co-organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Research and Sun Group, took place. Local leaders and nearly one hundred leading experts and scientists in the fields of economics, tourism, policy research, and planning attended. The workshop was considered an important forum to analyze opportunities and challenges and shape a development vision for Phu Quoc in the context of being chosen as the venue for the APEC 2027 Summit, thereby opening up expectations for a strong breakthrough period for the island on the regional and international map. |
Transform Phu Quoc into a tourism hub.
Associate Professor Pham Trung Luong, former Deputy Director of the Institute of Tourism Research and a member of the National Planning Advisory Expert Group, believes that the first and most important policy for Phu Quoc to truly take off is to create more favorable conditions for international tourists through visa policy reform.
According to him, the current visa exemption is a great advantage, but if it is limited to a 30-day stay, it is no longer suitable for the new global trend, where more and more tourists combine travel with remote work.
Based on that reality, he suggested boldly extending the length of stay to at least 6 months, aiming for more flexible visa types to attract international investors, scientists, and intellectuals to live, work, and commit to Phu Quoc in the long term.
According to him, visa policies need to be further expanded and made more open, not just limited to mechanisms that have been in place for many years, so that Phu Quoc can compete effectively in the race to attract high-quality global talent.
Panel discussion at the conference.
According to Associate Professor Pham Trung Luong, for Phu Quoc to truly become an international tourism "hub," the key factor is to expand the network of direct flights connecting directly with source markets. He believes that if tourists still have to fly through many transit points, Phu Quoc will find it difficult to compete with major destinations in the region.
Currently, the number of direct international flights to Phu Quoc is very limited, with only about 4 regional routes, and the recently opened New Delhi (India) route is just the beginning.
From there, he emphasized that the problem lies not only in aviation infrastructure but also in policy mechanisms, as the licensing of direct flights remains centralized at the central level. He argued that there is a need for bold decentralization, granting more power to local authorities and creating opportunities for businesses to participate in connecting international flight routes, because direct flights are not just a matter of transportation, but a prerequisite for Phu Quoc to rise to become a globally competitive tourism center.
The delegates attending the workshop.
Phu Quoc needs to take the lead in green transformation.
Dr. Tran Du Lich, a member of the National Monetary Policy Advisory Council, believes that APEC will bring enormous media benefits. “Thousands of international journalists and leaders from major economies will be here, creating a widespread image without any media costs. No campaign is as effective as this,” Dr. Tran Du Lich shared.
Dr. Tran Du Lich particularly emphasized the role of indigenous cultural values in the development of Phu Quoc. According to him, no matter how rapid urbanization becomes, the island still needs to preserve its three distinctive cultural products: pepper, traditional fish sauce, and pearls, because these are not only economic products but also the identity that creates Phu Quoc's unique appeal.
At the same time, he assessed that Phu Quoc possesses rare natural advantages, being located in the center of ASEAN, having a stable climate, beautiful beaches, ample land for development, an international airport, and an increasingly established brand.
Rendering of Terminal T2 of the Phu Quoc International Airport expansion project - one of the key projects to serve the APEC 2027 Summit.
Based on his practical experience at many famous destinations such as Bali and Cancun, he believes that Phu Quoc has the potential to become a new growth engine for Vietnam, even rivaling Jeju in South Korea or Dubai in the UAE, if given superior mechanisms and placed in an internationally competitive environment. According to Dr. Tran Du Lich, in the next 10 to 20 years, Phu Quoc could become a new symbol of national development, ushering in a new era for the pearl island.
“I propose developing Phu Quoc as a digital island with big data, smart governance, and simultaneously developing a green island, green tourism, everything green. This must be a leading place in green transformation,” said Dr. Tran Du Lich.
In connection with the theme of sustainable development and mechanisms, Dr. Tran Du Lich put forward two proposals. Firstly, a specific mechanism for science, technology, and innovation. Sustainable development is a complex interdisciplinary problem, so it requires the application of technology and innovation to solve both technical and social issues. Good policies must be based on a scientific foundation.
Secondly, regarding the circular economy pilot mechanism. This is a mechanism that Phu Quoc or An Giang province could apply to address institutional, public-private partnership, finance, and investment issues for which there are currently no suitable legal tools.
Phu Quoc aims for Net Zero
Mr. Tran Minh Khoa, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, said that the special economic zone had organized a conference to sign a commitment to "Green Transformation" with international businesses and organizations, aiming to move Phu Quoc towards Net Zero - achieving net emissions of zero.
Currently, the Green Transformation project is also being urgently implemented and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026. "On the routes from the airport to the North and South of the island, 100% of the buses are electric and no longer use fossil fuels. This is the first step in implementing 'Green Transportation' in Phu Quoc, and later we will aim to develop green tourism, green governance, and a green living environment when the project is completed," Mr. Tran Minh Khoa affirmed.
Text and photos: TAY HO
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/apec-2027-co-hoi-vang-de-phu-quoc-but-pha-va-dinh-vi-tam-voc-quoc-te-a470220.html
Comment (0)