Travel firm seeks to bring 5,000 South Koreans to Phu Quoc Island

The Vina Phu Quoc Travel Company is one of four travel agencies designated to welcome back foreign tourists to Phu Quoc Island in Kien Giang Province under a two-phase vaccine passport trial program scheduled to begin this Saturday.

Under the proposal submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for approval, the company said it has signed a contract with its South Korean partner G-Air Co. Ltd to bring tourists from the country to the island via charter flights from November 20 until March 31, 2022.

Nguyen Vu Khac Huy, general director of the company, told VnExpress International that the flights would depart from South Korea’s Incheon Airport and tourists will have to stay at least three nights in Phu Quoc.

Huy also said all tourism staff of the company have been fully vaccinated and are required to furnish a negative Covid test result a day before welcoming the tourists.

All tourists must also present certificates showing they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid and tested negative within 72 hours before departure from Korea.

They are required to install IGOVN and PC-Covid health declaration applications on their smartphones while in Vietnam.

Vietnam's largest island gained a global boost after the government introduced 30-day visa-free entry to the island in 2014.

In 2019 it received over five million visitors, including 541,600 foreigners.

Vietnam closed its borders to foreign tourists and canceled all international flights in March last year.

Kien Giang is one of five places to get the green light from the government to welcome back fully immunized tourists from November onwards along with Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh, and Da Nang.

On Thursday last week, Khanh Hoa Province, home to famous tourist hotspots Nha Trang and Cam Ranh, welcomed two flights from South Korea and Japan with a total of 429 passengers.

Quang Nam is expected to receive over 400 American visitors in the next two days.