Phu Quoc tourism experienced a boom in 2022 but could not maintain its appeal in 2023 when it recorded a large decrease in the number of visitors.
Statistics show that Phu Quoc tourism in 2023 is not very optimistic when the total number of visitors on major holidays is lower than the same period. On the occasion of April 30 - May 1, Phu Quoc reached about 112,000 arrivals, down 11.5% over the same period, while revenue decreased by 24.3% over the same period. On the occasion of September 2, the number of visitors continued to decrease with a total of 19,000 arrivals, down 40% over the same period, and room occupancy reached about 27%.
Responding to VnExpress , Mr. Phan Dinh Hue, an expert on destination development in the Mekong Delta region, said that the annual economic report of the Mekong Delta shows that 70% of hotel rooms of 3 stars or higher in the region are located in Phu Quoc. In Kien Giang province alone, the number of 3-star hotel rooms in Phu Quoc accounts for 90% of the total number of rooms in the locality. This shows that the level of investment in Phu Quoc is very large. Therefore, if the "pearl island" continues to lose like this year, businesses will face countless financial difficulties.
Ms. Le Thi Hai Chau, General Secretary of Phu Quoc Tourism Investment and Development Association, said that resorts on the island are all expecting to "take off" in 2023 after a successful 2022. However, the current results have shown a big lesson for the tourism industry in Phu Quoc and all other destinations in the country.
"Resort services are a chain of interconnected industries that must be coordinated and cannot be done alone," said Ms. Chau.
Beach in Phu Quoc in 2020. Photo: Andreas M/Unsplash
According to tourism experts, part of the reason comes from high airfares - sometimes up to 8 million VND round trip if departing from Hanoi during the holidays.
The representative of Phu Quoc Tourism Investment and Development Association also emphasized the need for coordination from tourism management units and airlines to solve this problem. According to Ms. Chau, the main reason for the decline in the number of visitors during the April 30-May 1 holiday is the high price of airfares. Although airfares cooled down on September 2, the number of visitors was still not as expected. Part of the reason is that the unstable ticket prices in the past have affected the arrangements of tourists and travel agencies.
Some other reasons that tourists have previously reported for the decline in visitors to Phu Quoc are the high cost of food and accommodation - previously there was also a situation of high commissions for drivers leading to skyrocketing prices for restaurant menus. However, according to the reporter's records, this problem has been partly resolved when the government proactively reviewed and inspected, the profit sharing between taxis and restaurants is currently at about 10%, which is considered not high.
On the other hand, Mr. Nguyen Vu Khac Huy - Vice Chairman of Kien Giang Province Tourism Association - said that information about Phu Quoc in the media since the beginning of the year has not been very positive. When working with partners, Mr. Huy clearly realized that negative information in the media greatly affects the psychology of customers.
However, according to Mr. Huy, the decline in the number of visitors is happening in all major tourist destinations, not just Phu Quoc. The economic situation of tourists is not very good, so cutting down on travel expenses is understandable.
In order for Phu Quoc to develop strongly in the coming time, experts share the view that it is necessary to solve two "internal" and "objective" problems. Regarding the internal problem, Mr. Hue assessed that Phu Quoc lacks connection with airlines, causing unstable airfare costs. Tourism businesses at the destination and the locality need to soon have solutions to overcome this difficulty.
Meanwhile, a representative of the Phu Quoc Tourism Investment and Development Association suggested that a price stabilization policy is needed to achieve a common goal for Phu Quoc tourism. Ms. Chau said that the Association has received positive signals from an airline.
In the future, Ms. Chau hopes that the remaining airlines will continue to balance their business policies to reach "stable cooperation agreements". In addition to the airline's move, the representative of the Phu Quoc Tourism Investment and Development Association emphasized that the government needs to play a key role, acting as a bridge for the parties to implement these commitments.
"This story is not just about businesses but also about the entire local tourism industry," said Ms. Chau.
According to the Phu Quoc Tourism Investment and Development Association, the locality has received information about expensive airfares, expensive tourism services, and other issues related to environmental sanitation and security and order over the past time. Since the beginning of the year, many meetings have been held by local authorities to "dissect" the reasons and find solutions. Ms. Chau assessed that those working in tourism and the Phu Quoc government are "receptive" and proactive in solving the problem. However, the current measures are not thorough and need to be more drastic.
Ms. Chau emphasized that directly facing arising problems and promptly improving them is an important part of Phu Quoc improving its business environment, bringing a friendly and positive image to tourists.
The 4-island tour in Phu Quoc is deserted on April 30. Photo: Truong Phu Quoc
On the other hand, the association representative also hopes that tourists and the media will have a fairer view of the cost of services and tourism in Phu Quoc. According to Ms. Chau, Phu Quoc has many services, with a variety of segments from 1 to 5 stars for tourists to choose from depending on their needs. Regarding the 5-star segment, Ms. Chau pointed out that the price of a night at a 5-star hotel ranges from about 2 million VND for two adults and two children, including breakfast, airport pick-up and drop-off - not to mention that some units also offer free tickets to amusement parks.
"I think this price is quite 'soft' compared to similar classifications in the country and region. That's not to mention other costs that businesses need to pay such as asset maintenance, environmental sponsorship costs, and island landscape maintenance, which are higher than doing business on the mainland," said Ms. Chau.
Regarding the "rip-off" story, Ms. Chau said that with the number of visitors of about 5 million each year, the business environment in Phu Quoc or any other place can have some problems and needs to be improved. The Phu Quoc Tourism Investment and Development Association proposed that the government needs to screen and thoroughly handle the negative phenomena that have been reported by tourists. In addition, Phu Quoc should also invest in more taxi and bus stations on the island to ensure factors such as full declaration and a clear operating system.
Currently, Phu Quoc has a free electric bus to pick up and drop off passengers from the airport along the Duong Dong center and entertainment areas. Ms. Chau commented that this is a green, civilized model that needs to be replicated, creating conditions for effective operation, thereby gradually limiting the situation of shuttle service vehicles lacking transparency.
The objective problem of Phu Quoc is that international tourists have not returned as expected, domestic tourism is affected by seasonality. In addition, Phu Quoc also has some times of the year that are often affected by the weather.
From the business side, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Dieu, owner of Gio Bien restaurant (Ganh Dau, Phu Quoc) said that he had found a solution to this problem early. Responding to VnExpress , the restaurant owner said that in August - the low season in Phu Quoc - the number of Vietnamese customers decreased, so he quickly thought of finding a new group of customers.
After learning about Korean tourists' interest in Phu Quoc, he worked with KOLs (influencers) and Korean travel agencies to promote and bring customers to his restaurant. At the end of the year, this restaurant will welcome thousands of more visitors from the land of kimchi, ensuring a prosperous business.
In 2024, according to the forecast from the Phu Quoc Tourism Investment and Development Association, the "pearl island" may still go through a difficult period. However, if the airfare situation stabilizes soon, Phu Quoc can recover the domestic tourism market, especially group tourists and MICE (meetings and conferences).
Regarding the international market, the Association assessed that the European and Chinese markets have not shown any signs of improvement this year. Therefore, businesses should focus on customers from Korea, India, Taiwan (China) and Hong Kong (China).
Tu Nguyen
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