The travel associations of Hanoi and Kien Giang Province will establish partnerships with their tour operators to bring domestic and foreign tourists from the capital city to Phu Quoc Island.  

Phu Quoc Island is one of the favorite destinations for foreign tourists. Photo: Huu Tuan/ The Hanoi Times

The latest move comes from Hanoi's tourism marketing plan, in which the city has identified tourism marketing as a strategic breakthrough to restore and develop Vietnam's tourism sustainably, according to the Hanoi People's Committee's plan to implement the national tourism development strategy in the capital by 2030.

Major travel agencies in Hanoi and service providers on Phu Quoc Island have agreed to jointly develop new products this summer travel season, said Nguyen Vu Khac Huy, vice chairman of the Kien Giang Provincial Tourism Association, when hosting a meeting with a delegation of Hanoi tourism enterprises in Phu Quoc to promote tourism development.

Phung Quang Thang, chairman of the Hanoi Travel Association, said the jointly operated tours will be designed for green development.

"In addition to maintaining the quality of products and services, we will build a promotional program to bring more domestic and foreign tourists to Pearl Island," Thang told The Hanoi Times.

Nguyen Thi Tien Hao, director of Hanoi-based Phuong Nam Sun Travel & Trading Co., Ltd., said that in recent years, tourists from Hanoi and northern provinces and cities prefer to visit Phu Quoc Island because many tourist attractions here are modern and attractive, and prices of services and products are stable.

She added that the yacht tour is one of the most exciting experiences for visitors to explore the island.

Truong Cong Tam, chairman of the Phu Quoc Tour Guide Association, added that touring the island by speedboat is another popular choice for many tourists. "Travel agencies are offering new products to enhance their customers' experience so that they would return to Phu Quoc," he told The Hanoi Times.

Hanoi travel businesses propose local air carriers to reduce airfares to encourage more people to travel to Phu Quoc. Photo: Lam Ngoc

However, Hao stressed that at present, the price of air tickets from Hanoi and other provinces and cities to Phu Quoc is very high. She called on local airlines to lower the airfares to encourage more people to travel to Phu Quoc.

The vice chairman of Kien Giang Tourism Association also agreed with Hao that costly flights reduce the attractiveness of Phu Quoc.

In the first two months of this year, Phu Quoc Island welcomed 932,000 visitors, including 139,000 international tourists, according to the provincial Department of Tourism. Tourism revenue is estimated to reach VND3.2 trillion ($130.7 million) during January-February.

Bui Quoc Thai, Director of the provincial Department of Tourism, said that the province is carrying out procedures to launch a project to build Phu Quoc into a national and international eco-tourism centre in the coming years.