Phu Quoc has marked a dramatic change of throne, ending the era of "cheap tourism" in Vietnamese tourism.
Impressive "overtaking" performances
When groom Rushang Shah and bride Kaabia Grewal chose Phu Quoc as their wedding destination, the stunning natural landscape was the first factor that attracted them. However, to satisfy hundreds of wealthy guests, beautiful nature alone was not enough.
Phu Quoc has outstanding natural advantages, making it an ideal place for foreign visitors and wealthy domestic people to live and relax.
According to Mr. Pham Sanh Chau, former Vietnamese Ambassador to India, they surveyed hundreds of locations in 30 countries. Billionaire Nitin Shah, father of the groom Rushang, is a big businessman in Bombay. He wanted to hold his son's wedding on a beach, but it had to be the most unique place, where no Indian tycoon had ever held it.
Before choosing Vietnam, Mr. Nitin Shah surveyed the places where Indian billionaires often hold weddings for their children such as Phuket (Thailand), Bali Island (Indonesia), the ancient citadel in Cappadocia (Turkey) or artificial beaches in Abu Dhabi (UAE), ancient castles on Lake Como (Italy)...
But in the end, Phu Quoc was chosen because it is not only beautiful but also has a series of super luxury hotels that meet unprecedented requirements. After the super luxurious wedding at JW Marriott Phu Quoc, the groom Rushang Shah and the bride Kaabia Grewal not only continued to stay in Phu Quoc for a few days to visit the pearl island, but the host family also affirmed their determination to put Phu Quoc on the map of the best wedding venues in the world.
It was the first time a Vietnamese island had left behind the top beach resorts to reach the top of the Indian billionaires’ wish list. However, there was one request that the billionaire’s family had yet to fulfill: fireworks at the wedding.
That unanswered request has now been fully met at the wedding of the Indian billionaire couple that took place in Sunset Town on January 21-23. At the wedding of the special guests, the effects of fire, water, laser, and lighting from the stage combined with the decoration style imbued with Indian culture created a spectacular and magical scene. In particular, fireworks were performed twice during the main wedding ceremony to light up the night sky, marking a dreamlike wedding in Phu Quoc.
Pearl Island Transforms into “Asia's Leading Luxury Island Tourism Destination”
They booked the entire JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay resort for several days and chose Sunset Town to host their super wedding. The newly inaugurated Kiss of the Sea show stage, which is "driving crazy" the international media, was also immediately chosen as the venue for the Baraat ceremony - the wedding procession.
To prepare for a perfect wedding, the bride and groom's families planned 6 months in advance and carefully surveyed the location 3-4 times. Once again, many famous destinations such as Maldives, Phuket... had to give way to Vietnam's pearl island Phu Quoc. JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay continues to be "chosen" thanks to its beautiful outdoor spaces to organize traditional Indian wedding ceremonies.
Just 5-7 years ago, perhaps few people dared to think of this. Because Vietnam is always mentioned in the list of the most affordable destinations in the world. And Phu Quoc is still "lost" somewhere among the countless pristine islands with beautiful natural scenery in the world.
Yet in just a few years, Phu Quoc has grown so rapidly that the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) commented: "Forget Phuket, this is Phu Quoc - the great hope of Vietnamese tourism" right on the title of the article introducing the pearl island.
Phu Quoc's position in the race for destinations for the super-rich was officially confirmed at the 2023 World Travel Awards Asia-Pacific, when it surpassed Maldives, Phuket or Bali... to be named in the category "Asia's Leading Luxury Island Destination".
Magnet for international visitors
"If I had to choose, I would go to Phu Quoc at any time. Honestly, I like Phu Quoc more than Phuket. The beach in Phuket is also beautiful but there are too many shopping areas, too many bars, motels... We stayed in Phu Quoc for almost a month and loved Phu Quoc. The beach is calmer, great for swimming, no rocks, just sand. We had a very relaxing vacation, delicious food. Compared to Phuket, Phu Quoc is not a city that is too "touristized". Vietnamese people are friendly and seem more sincere", tourist Tbonesa shared his feelings on the TripAdvisor platform after his journey to explore the pearl island at the end of 2023.
Pearl Island Transforms into “Asia's Leading Luxury Island Tourism Destination”
Not only attracting billionaires to organize weddings and lavish events, the pearl island is also gradually becoming an attractive destination that satisfies the diverse needs of many "rich customers" in the world. With criteria such as a house by the sea, covered in tropical green and living in a wellness standard in a well-planned and synchronized place, the rich have "named" Phu Quoc in the top 15 most wonderful islands in the world for retirement.
In recent years, new infrastructure, tourism products and services have been continuously invested and added to the pearl island to "please" tourists. According to statistics from the Kien Giang Department of Tourism, in the first two months of the year, the number of visitors to Phu Quoc increased dramatically, especially international visitors. During the recent Lunar New Year alone, Phu Quoc welcomed an increase of more than 500% in international visitors compared to the same period last year. Phu Quoc International Airport welcomes an average of 12-15 international flights per day. This number promises to increase as international airlines continue to target Phu Quoc. Tourists brought Kien Giang province more than 5,200 billion VND in revenue in just 2 months.
Ms. Vu Kim Chi, a former coordinator of the Training and Development Program for Human Resources in the Vietnamese Tourism Industry and Domestic Accommodation Facilities, currently working in Bangkok (Thailand), commented: "Regarding the factors that make up the identity of a tourist destination, I choose Phu Quoc. I have been to Phuket and some places like Ko Samui, or Krabi, my impression of the natural landscape of your country is not too special. I still see that my country is favored by nature. When it comes to "competition" and naming a tourist destination with the desire to find a place in the region, Vietnam's ambition and confidence are a positive signal that creates excitement and curiosity. This is also a message of hope, but certainly when sending that signal, the Vietnamese tourism industry will have to make careful preparations so that Phu Quoc can demonstrate the necessary competitiveness."
In 2022 and 2023, the name Phu Quoc appeared continuously in international destination rankings. At the World Travel Awards for Asia and Oceania, Phu Quoc was honored as the leading luxury sea and island tourist destination in Asia in 2023. In addition, in the accommodation category, Phu Quoc has 5 representatives, which are resorts honored in the leading category in Asia.
Meanwhile, Australia's leading travel magazine Escape recently released its list of top trending destinations for the 2024 Easter holiday (late March). It was Phu Quoc, not the names that are too familiar to the world like Bali or Phuket.
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