International tourists love Phu Quoc.

Having just finished her trip to Phu Quoc in mid-October, South Korean tourist Lee Hannim said the island city "lived up to expectations".

Lee Hannim enjoys meditation and yoga, so Phu Quoc is a suitable place for these activities. The female tourist praised Phu Quoc for its beauty, safety, and the friendly nature of its people towards international visitors.

"After Covid-19, many people are looking for relaxing, nature-connected trips . Phu Quoc, being an isolated island, appealed to me," Hannim said, adding that the island city is "very popular" in South Korea.

According to her, Koreans love traveling to Vietnam, and Phu Quoc is currently their top choice. Hannim herself had visited Da Nang and Hoi An five years ago, so she decided to seek a more novel experience on this trip.

Hannim took this photo in Phu Quoc on October 18th. Photo: Provided by the subject.

According to Hotel & Restaurant magazine (Korea), Vietnam is a favorite overseas destination for South Korean tourists due to its short distance, reasonable prices, and palatable cuisine . The magazine describes Phu Quoc as "one of the few places in Vietnam where you can find emerald green seawater." The diverse range of activities and experiences in the north and south of the island is also a major draw for visitors.

Modetour, a travel company established in 1989 in South Korea, has also just announced the diversification of its Phu Quoc tourism products to meet the increasing interest of Korean tourists during the winter season.

"Following Da Nang and Nha Trang, Phu Quoc is becoming increasingly popular with Korean tourists. We are diversifying our products so that visitors can experience the charm of Phu Quoc," a company representative told Herald Corp, a major media outlet in South Korea.

Mr. Vu Tien Van, General Director of Adavigo, said the company focuses on attracting international tourists to Phu Quoc and has seen many positive signs. Regarding Korean tourists, Mr. Van commented that this group is genuinely interested in Vietnam. During the recent difficult period due to low domestic tourism, many tourism businesses in Phu Quoc almost "relied on Korean tourists."

However, Mr. Van said this is not a lucrative market for Vietnamese travel companies. The reason is that travel companies in South Korea often work "quite locally," without linking with Vietnamese travel companies. They mainly work with companies in Vietnam but have "connections" with the South Korean side. Nevertheless, Mr. Van assessed that the growth in South Korean tourists has a positive impact on tourism service businesses such as restaurants and entertainment venues in Phu Quoc.

A 5-star resort in Phu Quoc. Photo: Booking

Adavigo is currently focusing on attracting tourists from India and Taiwan (China). Mr. Van said that they recently successfully welcomed a group of 500 Indian tourists. During November and December, the company will try to finalize contracts with several partners from Taiwan. According to Mr. Van, the end of the year, especially after Christmas, will see a significant increase in international interest in Phu Quoc.

"Foreign tourists like Phu Quoc because, during the three years of the pandemic, this island city changed a lot, but they hadn't been able to visit. Therefore, they now consider Phu Quoc a top destination," Mr. Van said.

Speaking to VnExpress , Mr. Nguyen Vu Khac Huy, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Kien Giang Provincial Tourism Association, commented that Phu Quoc has great appeal to international tourists thanks to its beautiful weather at the end of the year (peak tourist season for international visitors), its stunning beaches, and many luxurious resort services. Compared to the spending power of international tourists, the cost of tourism in Phu Quoc is also not too high.

Mr. Huy stated that since the second half of October, the situation regarding international tourists visiting Phu Quoc has been quite positive. The Kien Giang Provincial Tourism Association has recorded many affiliated units receiving tour groups from Taiwan and Malaysia. In addition, some tourism businesses on the island have accessed international tourists, especially from South Korea, through KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) or advertising on Naver – the country's leading search engine.

"That's a reasonable approach, keeping up with modern trends," Mr. Huy said.

In the first nine months of 2023, Phu Quoc welcomed over 470,000 international visitors, a 257.9% increase compared to the same period last year and exceeding the annual plan by 34.4%. Despite the positive international visitor numbers, many tourism professionals on the "pearl island" say they cannot rely solely on international tourists. They believe the number of international visitors is not large enough to fill the gap left by domestic tourists. Therefore, in addition to attracting international visitors, Phu Quoc also needs solutions to boost domestic tourism growth.

Tu Nguyen

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/khach-quoc-te-thich-phu-quoc-4668636.html