Phu Quoc Island increasingly appealing to European tourists

The number of tourists from European countries to Phu Quoc Island off the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is expected to rise sharply in the remainder of the year thanks to new air services.

Tran Chi Dung, director of the provincial Tourism Department, told the Daily that while visitors from China form the biggest group of international tourists in Phu Quoc, the number of European visitors to the island is expected to surge in late this year and early next year.

“We have yet to figure out the estimated number of European tourists in the coming tourism season,” he said.

Bangkok Airways intends to launch an air service from Thailand to Phu Quoc late this month, with many passengers from European nations expected to take the trip.

Notably, the major European tour operator TUI Group plans to organize a host of chartered flights, bringing their customers to the island.

Some companies specializing in the European market also gave similar information. In particular, many international tour operators and airlines are heavily promoting the image of Phu Quoc Island, which will help increase the number of foreign tourists to the island in the coming time.

“Phu Quoc has become a frequently repeated name in Europe. Many companies have introduced the island in order to implement their market expansion strategies. For example, Bangkok Airways is heavily marketing Phu Quoc to make the way for its coming air route,” said Bui Viet Thuy Tien, managing director of Asian Trails Co Ltd.

More than 2.26 million tourists visited the off-the-beaten-track island in the year to September, an 8.8% rise compared to the same period last year.

Of the figure, international tourists totaled over 242,000 arrivals, up 25.1% year-on-year.