Lately, the significant decline in tourist numbers in phú quốc has been a topic of discussion in the Vietnamese tourism industry. During the September 2nd holiday, Phú Quốc only welcomed 62,544 visitors, a 26.5% decrease compared to the same period last year, marking a record drop in the history of the island. Many upscale restaurants, hotels, and resorts, as well as budget accommodations, reported occupancy rates of only 20-30%. Some restaurants even claimed that the number of visitors during the September 2nd holiday decreased by about 70% compared to the previous year.
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On November 14th, the People's Committee of Phú Quốc organized a conference on civilized behavior in transportation, food services, and communication with tourists. During the conference, 12 opinions from businesses, travel agencies, shipping companies, and transportation service providers in Phú Quốc were discussed to find ways to stimulate tourism: promoting civilized behavior, determining appropriate commission rates for drivers, service prices, and addressing environmental pollution issues.
Lâm Kim Phương, the Director of Vietravel Phú Quốc, noted that there are still limitations in Phú Quốc's tourism, particularly the practice of soliciting tourists at the night market. This makes tourists hesitant to visit and dine at this location. "We believe that the local authorities need to address this issue in order to create a beautiful image for tourists when they come to visit and enjoy themselves here," said Ms. Phương.
Trương Công Tâm, the Chairman of the Professional Tour Guides Association in Phú Quốc, raised concerns about the commission rates for guides and drivers, as well as the unreasonably high prices of some food and beverage services. Such practices can negatively affect the image of Phú Quốc's tourism. He suggested that local authorities conduct strict inspections of local tour guides. Those who engage in unethical practices, such as extorting money from tourists, should be strictly punished.
According to Huỳnh Thanh Minh, the Head of the Department of Economy in Phú Quốc, the local authorities have received ten phone calls since July 2022 from tourists who complained about the behavior of tourism businesses towards them. The local authorities hope that travel agencies, tour operators, and related entities will establish codes of conduct to create a positive impression on tourists. Tour guides and drivers, in particular, should not participate in any illegal activities that involve extorting money from tourists.
As part of the plan, the People's Committee of Phú Quốc will establish the "Supervision and Control of Quality and Prices of Phú Quốc Tourism Services" task force to stabilize prices. This task force will be responsible for inspecting and controlling the prices, quality of services, the professionalism of tour guides, as well as tourist transportation means such as canoes, taxis, and tourist boats. The task force will be led by the Department of Economy under the People's Committee of Phú Quốc, in cooperation with the City Command 389 and the Tourism Inspection Team (under the Department of Culture and Information).
Regarding this issue, Đoàn Văn Tiến, the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phú Quốc, stated that the People's Committee has assigned the Department of Economy to coordinate with relevant departments to hold biannual meetings to listen to the opinions of businesses and jointly develop solutions to overcome difficulties and promote local tourism. "When businesses come together, share ideas, and take action, they can create unique tourism products and contribute to the sustainable development of Phú Quốc's tourism. The local authorities will strictly handle any issues related to soliciting tourists or overcharging them, ensuring that tourists can feel confident when they visit Phú Quốc," Mr. Tiến said.
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During the conference, travel companies expressed their desire for Phú Quốc to have distinctive festivals and tourism products that reflect the local culture. Hà Tấn Tài, the owner of Đại Đức Fish Sauce Company, stated, "When people visit a place, they want to experience the local culture and festivals. However, we still have limitations in promoting these aspects. Festivals and traditional industries are not being actively promoted, which prevents us from fully showcasing our core values."
From an objective perspective, Đặng Mạnh Phước, the CEO of The Outbout Company (a market research and deep data analysis company focusing on tourism and hospitality), believes that Phú Quốc needs to focus on internal factors, such as investment and product planning for tourism. According to Mr. Phước, Phú Quốc has the advantage of natural resources and is considered a resort destination. However, it has become overdeveloped with excessive concrete structures. Tourists come to Phú Quốc to experience and marvel at impressive projects and Western-style streets, resembling a small Italy on the island, but they are unable to find the uniqueness and local charm of Phú Quốc.
The People's Committee of Phú Quốc has issued Document No. 754 regarding the implementation plan for a series of activities to stimulate tourism, following the principle of "distinctive - professional - safe - clean - civilized." In addition to urgent and effective actions focused on quality, the task of promoting tourism also involves the participation of various departments, entities, and the public, along with numerous tourism-related businesses and investors in the city.
According to the plan, the city will organize a series of communication and promotion activities. Starting from November 15th, 2023, the "I Love Phú Quốc" communication campaign will include the construction of an official website for promoting Phú Quốc on various mainstream channels in Kiên Giang province, as well as sending welcome messages via Zalo/SMS to tourists upon their arrival in Phú Quốc. Additionally, Phú Quốc will intensify its promotion of the island's peak season beauty. In terms of tourism promotion, the city will organize "Phú Quốc Day" in key domestic markets every December and continue this event annually.
In the near future, the city will establish an annual event calendar, policies to support free venues, and mechanisms to encourage event organizers. Initially, the city has planned events from December 2023 to June 2024, including "Countdown 2024," weekend activities (from Thursday to Sunday every week) from December 2023 to March 2024 at the airport and crowded areas in Dương Đông, Bắc Đảo, Nam Đảo, the annual "Green Phú Quốc Day" with a themed marathon "Officials, people, and tourists - Running for the environment," a campaign to reduce plastic waste entitled "Green Journey," and "Exchange trash for tourism experiences," among others.