Hanoi (VNA) – The world’s leading travel magazine, Travel + Leisure, recently published an analysis of Phu Quoc’s unique appeal, highlighting the nightly firework displays held over the past two years as a rare phenomenon in global tourism.
According to Travel + Leisure, these uninterrupted performances have been instrumental in establishing the "Pearl Island" as one of Southeast Asia’s most notable emerging destinations.
Fireworks are typically regarded as a "specialty" reserved for major festivals. However, in Phu Quoc, what was once considered a luxury is becoming a familiar rhythm as night falls. Since January 2024, the island has maintained nightly displays for over two consecutive years – a record virtually without precedent. Nearly 580,300 shells have been launched, illuminating the skies of Sunset Town at a frequency that Travel + Leisure describes as "rarely maintained anywhere else in the world."
The magazine emphasises that these are not isolated displays. They are synchronized with large-scale multimedia spectacles such as Kiss of the Sea and Symphony of the Sea, seamlessly blending light, music, water, fire, and modern performance technology. This intersection has transformed the Phu Quoc skyline into a distinct "visual signature" – a key factor helping the island forge its own identity in the competition among regional island paradises.
“But this isn't a spectacle for spectacle’s sake.” Travel + Leisure emphasises. According to the article, the firework series has become a visual symbol of a larger ambition: to restore growth momentum, consolidate international positioning, and prove that Phu Quoc can redefine what a tropical destination offers after sunset. While many destinations slow down at night, in Phu Quoc, the night is when the climax begins.
Behind Phu Quoc’s sleepless sky is the impact of Sun Group – Vietnam’s "fireworks giant," known for the success of the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF), as well as displays in Ha Long (Quang Ninh), Ha Nam (Ninh Binh), and Cat Ba (Hai Phong). Beyond elevating local tourism, this creative mark has reached a national scale, with Sun Group recently sponsoring a large-scale artistic firework performance at My Dinh to celebrate the success of the 14th National Party Congress.
This ambition is quickly reflected in impressive growth figures. After exceeding its visitor targets by more than 12% in 2025, Phu Quoc recorded a nearly 60% increase in international tourists, entering a cycle of strong recovery and breakthrough. During the Lunar New Year alone, the locality welcomed an estimated 366,000 visitors, including nearly 93,000 international tourists – up more than 24% over the same period. In the near future, plans to launch more direct flights by Sun PhuQuoc Airways – an airline named after the island – are expected to further enhance direct connectivity with source markets, bolstering the island's international allure.
As global travellers seek fresh island destinations to replace familiar hubs like Bali or Phuket, Travel + Leisure suggests that Phu Quoc is successfully tapping into that "spirit of discovery." Every night, visitors witness a true feast of light on a tropical shore - a daily recurring experience that never feels repetitive.
Looking ahead, the American magazine notes that with its current growth trajectory, Phu Quoc is being placed on the same level as, and even possesses the potential to surpass, long-standing icons of regional island tourism. From the perspective of Travel + Leisure, the two-year firework streak has not only brightened the tropical sky but also illuminated a new status for Phu Quoc on the international tourism map as a large-scale performance hub for Asia, where the light each night tells a story of ambition and breakthrough./.
