Foreign tourists to Phu Quoc increase six-fold over Tet holiday

By Ngoc Tai February 14, 2024 | 03:06 am PT

Tourists on AIDabella cruise ship that docks at Duong Dong Port, Phu Quoc city on Feb. 9, 2024. Photo courtesy of Kien Giang Department of Tourism

The southern island of Phu Quoc was estimated to welcome 52,000 international visitors during the seven-day Tet break, recording an increase of nearly six times in number and eight times in revenue year-on-year.

The influx of foreign tourists helped Phu Quoc’s tourism revenues reach over VND1.1 trillion (US$44.7 million), according to the Kien Giang Department of Tourism.

On February 9, Lunar New Year’s Eve, PhuQuoc welcomed 2,000 tourists from Europe on the AIDAbella cruise ship.

The tour group visited Phu Quoc National Park, took a cable car ride to Hon Thom Islet and explored traditional fish sauce production villages.

This is also the second cruise ship to dock at the island in a week.

On February 2, the cruise ship Costa Serena carrying 1,000 tourists mainly from Thailand also docked at Duong Dong Port.

Vietnam's largest island last year suffered a tourism crisis with falling tourist numbers due to soaring airfares, expensive tourism services and various scams.

The plunging travel demand caused the suspension of flights from Da Nang, NhaTrang, and Can Tho to the island.

Authorities recently pledged to improve the quality of tourism services and crack down on tourist scams.