Kien Giang province welcomes first foreign tourists to Phu Quoc resort island

Two of the foreign visitors to Phu Quoc Island on November 20 (Photo: VNA)

Kien Giang (VNA) – As many as 204 tourists from the Republic of Korea landed on Phu Quoc in the southern province of Kien Giang at noon on November 20, marking the first group of foreign visitors to the resort island in the “new normal” period after nearly 2 years of closure.

Speaking at a welcome ceremony, Director General of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration Nguyen Trung Khanh described the event as an important milestone marking a new step in the efforts to restore the tourism industry.

He believed that full compliance with the “5K message” and COVID-19 prevention measures together with high quality tourism products will again affirm Vietnam’s attractiveness in the new normal context and look to bring a ‘Live Fully’ travel experience to all international travelers.

VinWonder Amusement Park is among tourist attractions during the tour. (Photo: Vietnam Plus)

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of the Kien Giang People’s Committee Nguyen Luu Trung said the locality has prepared a range of plans regarding pandemic safety in order to welcome back visitors through the vaccine passport programme.

The return of international tourists will serve to help the local tourism industry rebound following a long period of being heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Trung expressed his belief that with dynamism and close collaboration among enterprises, Phu Quoc will welcome up to 400,000 visitors, both Vietnamese and foreign, from now to the end of this year

During their stay, the Korean visitors enjoy a four-day-three-night package tour with accommodation at Vinpearl Resort & Spa Phu Quoc.

With their negative COVID-19 results, they can visit tourist attractions like VinWonder Amusement Park, Vinpearl Safari, Vinpearl Golf, Corona Casino, and GrandWorld Complex.

They are required to install the IGOVN and PC-COVID health declaration applications on their smartphones while in Vietnam. They undergo rapid COVID-19 testing on the first day of arrival and the final day before leaving Phu Quoc.

Vinpearl Safari,a wild conservation zoo, in Phu Quoc island. (Photo: Vietnam Plus)

Kim Chang Ho, a tourist from the Republic of Korea, said he was impressed by the way he was welcomed by authorities.

Kim said he felt secure coming to Vietnam at the time when he had received two doses of the vaccine and learned about pandemic prevention and control measures to ensure the safety of international tourists of Vietnam. He believed that he would have a comfortable trip and enjoy modern services in Phu Quoc.

After this event, Vietjet will continue to serve hundreds of guests from Japan, RoK, Taiwan (China) to Phu Quoc and other destinations in Vietnam.

During their holiday, they will visit tourist attractions like VinWonder Amusement Park, Vinpearl Safari, Vinpearl Golf, Corona Casino, and GrandWorld Complex.

All needed to furnish certificates showing they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 and tested negative within 72 hours before departure from the Republic of Korea.

After welcoming the first group of Korean visitors, Phu Quoc plans to receive 20 international flights a month in the coming time.

A tourist checks in a resort in Phu Quoc island. (Photo: Vietnam Plus)

Kien Giang is one of five localities to get the green light from the government to welcome back fully immunised tourists from November onwards along with Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh, and Da Nang.

It is part of a pilot plan for reopening tourism for the group, which will be implemented in two phases within the course of six months. After hosting the charter flights, the authorities will evaluate the plan’s feasibility, make adjustments if necessary, and follow the official roadmap from December 20, 2021.

Accordingly, during the first phase from December 20, 2021 to March 20, 2022, Phu Quoc will welcome 3,000 to 5,000 tourists per month via charter flights and allocate private experiences within limited locations and areas for guests.

The second phase, from March 20, 2022 to June 20, 2022, will involve evaluation of the first phase and a scale of 5,000 to 10,000 guests per month if all requirements are met./.

VNA