Phu Quy Island is struggling to welcome tourists.

Việt Nam•21/05/2024

Tourists paddleboarding in the waters off Phu Quy Island.

Since the Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet expressway opened, shortening travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet, many tourists have chosen to visit Phu Quy Island. In addition, the speedboat journey from the mainland to Phu Quy Island now only takes about three hours, leading to an increasing number of visitors and causing overcrowding.

Overloaded with garbage and water.

From the end of April, high-speed ferries from Phan Thiet city to Phu Quy island depart, each carrying an average of 300 passengers. On weekdays, there are about 6-7 ferry trips between the mainland and the island; the number increases on weekends. On average, Phu Quy island welcomes about 1,000 visitors daily. During the April 30th and May 1st holidays, there are 15-16 ferry trips to and from the island each day. On these ferries, tourists carry a lot of luggage, along with a lot of plastic waste. On the island itself, accommodation and food services also increase their capacity to meet tourist demand. As a result, plastic waste increases, putting pressure on the island.

According to many locals, the island's water supply depends on rainwater reservoirs and drilled wells. Groundwater is only exploited according to "restrictions" to prevent erosion. Hotels and homestays have sprung up, taking advantage of the situation to store water, leading to water shortages for many households. Water on the island is only available during the day. Hot weather and increased demand for water from tourists mean a reduction in the amount of water available for local residents. Notably, the number of homestays on the island has increased from nine in 2019 to over 100 in 2024. Some homestays have been expanded, increasing their area, adding floors, or building more rooms. Many cafes have sprung up along the beachfront, detracting from the urban landscape.

Activities like stand-up paddleboarding, snorkeling, and coral viewing are available right next to the aquaculture farms and floating restaurants. Many boats carrying tourists to the restaurants are overloaded. Regulations stipulate that these boats should only carry eight people, but sometimes they carry 10-12. The restaurants on the rafts are made of wood, but are packed with tourists. Many tourists throw leftover fruit, food, and plastic bags into the sea. According to one aquaculture farmer, this area used to only have cages for raising aquatic animals, and animal deaths were rare.

Since tourism developed, floating restaurants have sprung up. Many businesses have opened floating restaurants for tourists to snorkel and admire coral reefs. As a result, coral reefs are gradually dying due to tourists pulling them up or trampling on them. Even on the small Bai Can beach, one side has restaurants, another side has aquaculture farms, and yet another side is for tourists snorkeling and admiring coral. However, it's unclear why tourists are allowed to swim and snorkel in this area. Many locals have suggested that while the island's economy has improved since the influx of tourists, the government needs to develop a plan to balance interests and protect the ecological environment.

During a survey trip to Phu Quy Island to open a tourism tour, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen, Director of a Hanoi- based tourism company, noted that the island possesses pristine beauty but its development is unsustainable and lacks proper planning. Hotels and homestays have sprung up haphazardly, but are insufficient to accommodate large groups of tourists. Food and beverage services do not guarantee adequate seating or food safety and hygiene. Tours to Hon Den and Hon Tranh islands are conducted by boat without supervision from local authorities, posing a potential risk of accidents for tourists during transit.

A fundamental solution is needed.

Phu Quy District has been approved for a development plan until 2030 to become a key tourist area of the province, leveraging its potential and advantages in beach and island resort tourism associated with heritage, exploring marine culture and seafood cuisine; gradually building it into a green and sustainable tourist area. Mr. Ngo Tan Luc, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Quy District, said: In 2023, Phu Quy welcomed over 165,000 visitors, significantly exceeding the plan. In the first quarter of 2024, Phu Quy welcomed over 23,000 visitors, including more than 900 international tourists.

Over the past few years, the number of accommodation establishments has increased rapidly; there are currently about 60 hotels and guesthouses and 120 homestays. Food and beverage services have also increased in capacity. Currently, the island has about 30,000 residents and receives an average of about 1,000 tourists daily. The biggest challenges facing the island are access to clean water and sanitation. Therefore, the District People's Committee regularly educates residents on environmental protection and water conservation. In the near future, the district will review and license entertainment, recreation, and resort facilities.

According to the Center for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation of Binh Thuan Province, Phu Quy district has seven centralized domestic water supply systems with a total designed capacity of 2,680 m3/day. The percentage of households using hygienic water reaches 100%; the percentage of households using water from the water treatment plant reaches 70%. Among these, the center manages and operates the Long Hai and Ngu Phung water treatment plants with a total designed capacity of 2,200 m3/day.

However, these two plants only operate 15 out of 19 wells, with a total extraction capacity of approximately 1,220 m³/day. The remaining wells are not yet operational due to a lack of investment capital, thus the water supply capacity only meets about 50% of the people's domestic water needs. Recently, the two plants have had to regulate water supply between areas on a rotational basis. In addition, the remaining 5 water supply facilities are privately managed and operated, providing water with capacities ranging from 60-180 m³/day.

According to Mr. Tran Van Liem, Director of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Center of Binh Thuan province, due to climate change, the wells of the water treatment plant on Phu Quy island are experiencing salinization and high nitrate levels, making it impossible to operate at full capacity, while the demand for clean water is increasing. Currently, the center has a project to survey and assess the water reserves to exploit groundwater for domestic water supply with a requested extraction rate of 2,000 m3/day.

To invest in, upgrade, expand, and increase water supply capacity, the Provincial People's Committee has approved the implementation of projects to repair and upgrade the Ngu Phung and Long Hai water systems; and to implement the project for a primary pumping station and raw water pipeline from the two surface water reservoirs to the Ngu Phung water treatment plant. The Center proposes that the Provincial Department of Planning and Investment advise the Provincial People's Committee to allocate capital for 2024 to provide a basis for implementing the nitrate treatment model for the Ngu Phung water treatment plant. The project to build freshwater reservoirs and upgrade and renovate the water supply system is currently in the process of surveying groundwater locations, aiming to build four reservoirs for optimal water storage efficiency.

Regarding waste management on the island, the Phu Quy Waste Treatment and Recycling Plant, currently operating, has only been allocated 7,000 square meters of land out of a total of 2 hectares, meaning it has not yet reached its full scale and waste processing capacity as designed. Ms. Nguyen Thi To Nu, Deputy Director of the Phu Quy Waste Treatment Plant, stated that the unallocated land is the site of a pre-existing landfill. This landfill contains hundreds of thousands of tons of waste. The plant is awaiting provincial approval of the unit price for processing this accumulated waste.

Mr. Pham Van Thanh, Director of Phu Quy Power Company, said that with the support of the power sector and the local authorities, in 2023, the unit ensured the power supply to serve political, economic, and social needs. Since the development of tourism, the power output in 2023 increased by more than 17% compared to 2022.

Currently, Phu Quy Island uses an independent power grid powered by diesel and wind energy, resulting in high costs. To ensure the livelihoods of the people, the electricity sector is subsidizing electricity prices on the island to match those on the mainland. In addition, the local government promotes energy conservation. Many households on the island also do not install solar panels because they are easily damaged during the rainy and stormy season.

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