World's second most beautiful island welcomes nearly 500,000 foreign tourists in Q1

By VNA March 25, 2025 | 07:50 pm PT

Foreign tourists are seen at the Hon Thom cable car station in Phu Quoc, Jan. 25, 2025. Photo by Phuong Dinh

Phu Quoc Island, voted the world's second most beautiful by readers of American magazine Travel+Leisure, received more than 2 million visitors, including 474,468 foreign tourists in the first quarter, a 66.5% year-on-year rise.

The Vietnam's largest island eyes 1 million foreign visitors this year.

Phu Quoc has been selected to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in 2027.

To prepare for this event, the southern province of Kien Giang, home to Phu Quoc, is investing in upgrading infrastructure, including its international airport, hotels, resorts, entertainment venues, transportation systems, and ports.During the first quarter, Kien Giang welcomed over 3.1 million tourists, achieving 28.4% of this year's target and marking a 13.7% increase from 2024.

The province's tourism revenue soared by 79.4% to over VND13.04 trillion ($508.68 million), the provincial Department of Tourism has reported.

Director of the department Bui Quoc Thai said it is working with relevant authorities and organizations to implement tourism stimulus measures while strengthening cooperation with provinces and cities nationwide to promote tourism development.

Kien Giang is also strengthening tourism ties with domestic and international partners, exploring new maritime transport routes to Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia.