By Tu Nguyen   October 31, 2023 | 08:00 am GMT+7

Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island, has gained the admiration of Korean tourists, exemplified by visitors who appreciate its natural beauty and welcoming atmosphere.

Lee Hannim, a Korean tourist who is fond of meditation and yoga, found Phu Quoc Island to be an ideal destination for such activities. She commends Phu Quoc for its stunning beauty, safety, and warm hospitality.

“In the post-Covid era, many travelers are seeking gentle, rejuvenating experiences and a deeper connection with nature. Phu Quoc, being an isolated island, drew me in,” Hannim said.

According to her, Phu Quoc ranks as a preferred destination for Korean travelers exploring Vietnam. Having visited Da Nang and Hoi An five years ago, Hannim sought a fresh adventure on her recent trip.

Vietnam is featured in the Korean Hotel & Restaurant magazine as a top international travel destination for Koreans due to its proximity to Korea, low prices, and excellent cuisine.

Phu Quoc is described in the magazine as “a rare place in Vietnam with emerald sea waters.” Tourists are drawn to the island in large part because of the variety of things to see and do on both the southern and northern parts of the island.

Established in 1989, Modetour is a Korean tour operator that has seen a rise in demand from Korean winter visitors to Phu Quoc.

Visitors from South Korea are flocking to Phu Quoc after the success of Da Nang and Nha Trang. A representative for the company explained, “We are expanding our services so that visitors can fully appreciate Phu Quoc’s unique beauty.”

Vu Tien Van, the director of Adavigo, emphasized the importance of attracting international tourists to Phu Quoc, particularly Koreans. Despite the industry slump, restaurants and nightlife spots on the island have benefited from the influx of Korean visitors.

However, Van warned that this market can be difficult for Vietnamese travel agencies because many Korean travel agencies do not have close ties to their Vietnamese competitors.

Adavigo is concentrating on expanding its presence in the Indian and Taiwanese travel markets right now. He spoke of plans to form partnerships with Taiwanese entities during the months of November and December and of the recent successful reception of a 500-strong Indian delegation. He believes that after Christmas, Phu Quoc will see an increase in interest from foreign tourists.

To attract international visitors, vice chairman of the Kien Giang Tourism Association Nguyen Vu Khac Huy highlighted Phu Quoc’s favorable end-of-year weather, beautiful coastlines, and many luxury services that are not too expensive compared to international tourists’ spending standards.

According to Huy, international visitors started flocking to Phu Quoc around the middle of the month. The Kien Giang Tourism Association reported that multiple municipalities had welcomed visitors from Taiwan and Malaysia. Companies based on islands rely heavily on KOLs and the Korean search engine Naver to bring in visitors from all over the world, particularly Korea.

“This is a sensible approach to stay aligned with modern trends,” Huy commented.

More than 470,000 international tourists visited Phu Quoc in the first nine months of 2023, up 258% from the previous year and exceeding the annual goal by more than a third.

Tourism on Phu Quoc is on the rise, but the industry knows it needs a broader approach to drawing in both foreign and domestic visitors to ensure its long-term viability.

Source: vnExpress