Phu Quoc – a global popular destination

You should be proud of Phu Quoc, of this beautiful and wonderful island,” said Merlin, a German tourist.

Under the purple sunset of Sunset Town on the “Cau Hon” (Kissing Bridge) in the middle of the sea, Merlin was truly amazed by Pearl Island.

Over the past year, Phu Quoc has been honored by international tourism rankings and compliments from the world media.

Sunset Town in Phu Quoc at night. Photo courtesy of Sun Group

Familiar face of international media

In terms of frequency of presence on rankings or international tourism websites, Vietnam rarely has any locality comparable to Phu Quoc.

In early 2023, Travel+Leisure magazine ranked Phu Quoc 3rd in the list of 23 most worth-traveling destinations of the year.

The famous American travel website Travel Off Path also placed the island on top of the 4 best islands in Southeast Asia for solo travel and among top 6 destinations in the world in 2024.

Readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine voted Phu Quoc into the top 10 tourist islands in Asia with 88.89 out of a total of 100 points. This is also the only representative of Vietnam ranked first on CN Traveler.

At the same time, Korean news agency Yonhap News fondly called Pearl Island “Vietnam’s Maldives.”

The Business Post praised Phu Quoc as a place with beautiful beaches. In particular, the South Island area is an ideal place to watch the beautiful sunset.

By the end of the year, Pearl Island appeared more frequently in international media. Travel Lemming, an online travel guide site, ranked Phu Quoc 6th in the list of the world’s 50 best destinations in 2024.

The prestigious World Travel Awards 2023 honored Phu Quoc as a “Sea and Island Destination” and “World’s Leading Nature” twice in a row.

The Kiss Bridge, a symbol of Sunset Town. Photo courtesy of Sun Group

Closing the year 2023, after the Kiss Bridge was officially launched, Phu Quoc continued to attract the world’s attention after CNN news agency named this unique bridge on its homepage.

In turn, the news sites 9News (Australia), Asia Today (Korea), Travel & Leisure Asia, Travel Weekly (Australia), The South African (South Africa), Italy’s leading daily newspaper, La Stampa, and Cheddar News TV channel (USA) all praised the Kissing Bridge and Phu Quoc tourism.

George Diamantopoulos of Travel Daily News said Phu Quoc was quickly becoming a global tourist hotspot.

What international visitors like about Phu Quoc

On the first flight of Jin Air on Christmas Eve, the 6th direct flight from Korea to Pearl Island, Mina and her family were eagerly looking forward to the special journey, enjoying the year-end holidays. Together.

After a few days of staying in Phu Quoc, Mina fell in love with the island. “I like the turquoise beaches, fine white sand, and tropical climate here. Especially the New World Phu Quoc Resort that has a Vietnamese feel that we chose. Watching the sunset from the Kissing Bridge is truly an unforgettable experience in your life. In Korea, we consider Jeju Island a national treasure. I think in Vietnam, you can also consider Phu Quoc a national treasure for tourism.”

At the end of the year, every day more than 1,000 Korean tourists fly to Phu Quoc to enjoy their vacation, accounting for more than 50% of international visitors each day.

“Most of the reasons are the same because in Korea, you will not be able to go to Jeju to sunbathe on the sand or swim in the winter. But in Phu Quoc, 365 days a year, you can experience the blue sea, white sand, and golden sunshine,” Mina said.

VUI-Fest Bazaar is one of the famous attractions by night in Phu Quoc. Photo courtesy of Sun Group

In addition to natural advantages, in recent years, new tourism infrastructure, products, and services have also been continuously invested and supplemented on Phu Quoc Island to please tourists.

Phu Quoc International Airport serves an average of more than 30 domestic flights and 12–15 international flights per day. This number promises to increase as international airlines continuously put Phu Quoc in their sights.

Regarding tourism services, Phu Quoc has all segments to meet tourist needs. High-end guests, luxury resorts and hotels such as JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort, New World Phu Quoc Resort, La Festa Phu Quoc, Curio Collection by Hilton offer countless options.

For young tourists, mid-range-cost Premier Residences Phu Quoc Emerald Bay, mini hotels, boutique hotels… in Sunset Town are suitable options.

As for tourism products, in December 2023 alone, there were two masterpieces launched in Sunset Town: VUI-Fest Bazaar and Kissing Bridge. Every night, there are eye-catching fireworks displays for up to 7 minutes lit up in the sky over Sunset Town.

Tourists can enjoy many signature cuisine around Vietnam at the VUI-Fest Bazaar. Photo courtesy of Sun Group

Coming here, the show “Kiss of the Sea” will also introduce a completely new version, entertaining visitors with top-notch technology, light, and art performances on the infinity stage.

“My family planned to stay in Phu Quoc for 4 days. However, when we came here, we really enjoyed it and decided to extend our vacation to 10 days,” Joana, a Polish tourist, said while coming to Phu Quoc to celebrate the New Year.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, the recent advances in Phu Quoc tourism have “confirmed the strength and level of Phu Quoc, as well as confirmed the determination of the country so that Phu Quoc can rise in the global competition.”

That strength and level are the results of methodical investments: developing infrastructure, products, and services, and enhancing the destination of the island city with corporations and private businesses, including Sun Group.