Kien Giang (VNA) – The resort island of PhuQuoc in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang expects to welcome about 2.5million tourist arrivals in 2018, up 25 percent from last year.

Since 2015, the island has received more than 4.7 milliontourist arrivals, 20.5 percent of which were foreigners. Earnings from tourismgrew 42.5 percent annually in average.

According to Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee ofPhu Quoc island district Pham Van Nghiep, Phu Quoc International Airport nowhas eight airlines operating 12 direct international flights to China, theRepublic of Korea, Russia and Thailand and four domestic routes to Can Tho, HoChi Minh City, Hanoi and Hai Phong.

The lodging services in the island have rapidly expanded toserve the increasing demand of visitors. The island now has more than 600 hotelsand other accommodations, offering about 12,000 rooms, of which 10 are rated 3– 4 star hotels and five rated 5-star

Phu Quoc is very famous for pearl farming, fish sauce,pepper and “ruou sim”, a wine made from sim fruit or Rose Myrtle. A variety oftours are provided for travellers, such as scuba diving, coral reef snorkeling,fishing and tours to visit traditional fish sauce making establishments, pearlfarms, Ham Ninh fishing village, Phu Quoc National Park, pristine beaches andmany more.

In addition, Nghiep attributed the success of the localtourism industry to new luxurious tourism services, including 500-hectare VinpearlSafari Phu Quoc – the first-ever and largest safari park in Vietnam, VinpearlResort & Villas, Vinpearl Land and Vincharm Spa. Earlier this year, theworld’s longest sea cable car route was launched in the island, connecting AnThoi town and Hon Thom island, he said.

Phu Quoc was once a sleepy area of around 100,000 people.In recent years, however, the 567sq.m island has become a tourist mecca forthousands of visitors from around the world.

Located 46km from the mainland, the island can be reachedby air from HCM City within one hour and from Hanoi within two hours.

In September, it was named by CNN among the top fiveup-and-coming Asia Pacific destinations to visit this fall.

According to CNN, for those planning their first trip tothe Asia-Pacific region, major destinations usually top the list, suchas Shanghai and Hong Kong (China), Tokyo (Japan) and Singapore.

“If you're dreaming of a beach getaway in Asia this fall,Phu Quoc in Vietnam should be a top contender. For starters, the dryseason begins in November and runs till April,” CNN wrote on its website. 

Formerly a prison island during French colonial times,Phu Quoc's photogenic setting and clear waters caught the attention ofinternational brands like JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay, which debutedits Bill Bensley-designed resort late last year.

There's plenty to do aside from lounging and snorkelingaround Ong Lang Beach.

The Phu Quoc Prison Museum offers a peek into the island's darkhistory while the Phu Quoc National Park and Suoi Tranh Waterfallwill spoil nature lovers, it added. –VNA