With the Dau Giay-Phan Thiet expressway, will Con Dao face competition from Phu Quy Island?

A miniature "Roman Colosseum" on Phu Quy Island.

Rising star

Phu Quy Island District comprises 10 islands of varying sizes, boasting many pristine and unique landscapes. The experience of swimming and snorkeling here is just as enjoyable as on other famous islands in Kien Giang or Khanh Hoa provinces . Furthermore, the beautiful scenery, friendly locals, and peaceful pace of life are also attractive features for tourists.

Phu Quy Island boasts many popular spots that young people, especially girls, often explore and take photos at, such as Phuot Slope, Nho Beach, Trieu Duong Bay, the wind farm, Van Whale Temple, Ban Tranh Princess Temple, and the Nai Master's Shrine… Among them, Ban Tranh Princess Temple is recognized as a national historical monument. According to statistics from Phu Quy Island district, since the opening of the Dau Giay - Phan Thiet expressway, the number of tourists visiting and vacationing on Phu Quy Island has skyrocketed, averaging 5,000-6,000 visitors on weekends, and sometimes reaching 10,000 during peak holiday periods.

Not only has the expressway brought Phan Thiet closer to Ho Chi Minh City, but high-speed ferry companies such as Superdong and Phu Quy Express have also arrived to serve tourists. Mr. The Phan, a homestay investor on Phu Quy Island, commented: "Island tourism is a very popular hobby among Vietnamese people. Phu Quy Island is a pristine area that has only developed in recent years, so its potential is enormous. With the expressway and the arrival of many ferry companies, tourists can travel more conveniently, shortening travel time and allowing them to experience more. Especially, seafood on the island is very cheap; for just a few hundred thousand dong, you can comfortably enjoy delicious and exotic seafood dishes such as king crab, red grouper, natural red lobster, and rock oysters… which are not easily found on the mainland."

Nguyen Van Cat, a resident and tour guide on the island, introduced: "The sea at Phu Quy is turquoise, so clear that you can see all the way to the bottom. Tourists can rent boats or canoes to explore small island clusters such as Hon Tranh, Hon Den, Hon Do, Hon Trung, Hon Giua…".

Phu Quy Island or Con Dao Island?

Tourists visit the museum on Con Dao Island.

Con Dao Island is a fairly well-known destination, but many people have never set foot there. "This summer I plan to take my family to Con Dao Island to see what it's like, since we've never been there before. But after hearing about Phu Quy Island, I'm hesitant about which one to choose," shared Ms. Le Kim Nguyen, an accountant at a company in District 7 (Ho Chi Minh City).

Khanh, a former professional football player currently living in Con Dao, advises: "Con Dao today has a well-developed and clean infrastructure with many hotel and guesthouse options for tourists to choose from. Typically, visitors to Con Dao choose to fly from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, with ticket prices more than double that of traveling by speedboat from Vung Tau. Currently, many people choose the route from Ho Chi Minh City to Tran De port in Soc Trang to Con Dao; however, this journey is very arduous and involves an overnight trip by bus."

Nevertheless, tours to Con Dao are always packed with tourists on weekends. Mr. Cao Minh Hung, a resident of Thu Duc City (Ho Chi Minh City), who recently returned from a trip to Con Dao, said: "I intended to find ferry tickets myself but couldn't. All the ticket offices were sold out because the travel companies had bought up all the tickets, so I and many others had to book through travel companies even though we didn't want to."

High airfare and scarce speedboat tickets are obstacles for many tourists when choosing a tour to Con Dao. Pham Minh Duc, Marketing Manager of a foreign language training company in Ho Chi Minh City, admitted: "My wife and I are planning a beach trip this summer. Con Dao is quite expensive, while the scenery is similar to many other islands. Since we have a car, we're leaning towards Phan Thiet, Mui Ne, and possibly exploring the legendary Phu Quy Island."

Although Con Dao may face competition from Phu Quy Island in terms of destination selection, many tour guides remain confident in their position. Quynh Trang, a tour guide at Paulatrip travel company, analyzed: "Con Dao has long been famous as a spiritual tourism destination, with an estimated 60-70% of visitors coming for religious purposes. Meanwhile, a significant number of tourists choose to travel to Con Dao by air, especially from northern provinces. Therefore, even if the high-speed road and sea ferry routes attract fewer tourists from Phu Quy, it will not significantly affect Con Dao."

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/co-cao-toc-dau-giay-phan-thiet-con-dao-bi-canh-tranh-boi-phu-quy-185230520153855289.htm