~ Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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Lofty aspirations for Vietnam's sleepy tropical island

PHU QUOC ISLAND - The luxury resorts have yet to be built on this tranquil tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand and the wealthy tourists have yet to visit, but Vietnam is hoping that will soon change. Located 45 kilometres (28 miles) off Vietnam's southwestern coast, tourism officials believe Phu Quoc Island has the potential over the next decade to become one of Southeast Asia's premier upmarket beach holiday destinations.

"We expect that in the future we will be able to rival and even outperform Bali and Phuket," says Pham Trung Luong, deputy head of the research department at the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). "We don't want to encourage low-budget tourists to come here as we do elsewhere in Vietnam. High-income tourists are our target clients. We will provide them with top-quality services," he adds.

For the moment, however, equal numbers of foreign backpackers and Vietnamese tourists, lured by its beautiful beaches, are providing the bulk of the mountainous, forest-clad island's fast-growing tourism economy. In 2000, some 21,700 people visited Phu Quoc, generating 6.2 billion dong (397,000 dollars) in revenue. Last year, the number rose to 87,000 despite Vietnam's SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak, contributing four million dollars to the local economy.

Doan Xuan Thiet, head of the management office of the Phu Quoc People's Committee, the island's government, says as many as 500,000 tourists are expected to visit annually by 2010. "There is a huge amount of potential for tourism development here. We have unspoilt coral reefs, good quality sea water, long, clean and beautiful beaches and 32,000 hectares of pristine national park forests," he says. Thiet acknowledges the competition is fierce but says he is confident that Phu Quoc can become a significant player in the region's lucrative beach tourism market.

But with less than 50 guesthouses and hotels and its grandest offering only a three-star resort, there is clearly a long way to go before it can even claim to compete in the same league as the other established hotspots. Thiet, however, is unfazed.

"We have a low starting point but we have the advantage of learning from their experience," he says, adding that "many foreign investors" have already submitted hotel projects for government approval. Although the masterplan for developing the island's tourism infrastructure remains confidential, he says it revolves around "sustainable development". "The government's policy is to develop the island but at the same time maintain its natural and social environment and not ruin it."

Thiet concedes that there are significant obstacles to be surmounted, particularly educating the island's 80,000 people, the majority of whom depend on the sea and the land for their livelihoods, on the tourism industry. Other challenges include poor waste-treatment facilities and transport infrastructure. Currently, only small capacity passenger planes can land on the island's small runway, while the ferry from the mainland takes over two hours. "We have identified and acknowledged our weaknesses and we will address them," says Thiet.

Others though are not convinced. They believe a land corruption scandal that has already resulted in the dismissal of the head of the island's government bodes ill for future development as more money pours in. "I am very worried about the overdevelopment of Phu Quoc. I fear they will try to build too quickly without ensuring that the proper infrastructure is in place," says one Western tourism expert, requesting anonymity. She says a "considerable" amount of garbage is already being washed up onto the island's beaches, particularly during the monsoon season, while its coral reefs are in poor condition as a result of chemicals used by fish and oyster farmers.

"It is a lovely place but it doesn't compare to other islands in the region. Even (Thailand's) Phi Phi island is more beautiful. I think the government's aspirations are a little off the mark." She also believes that Cambodia's claims to sovereignty over Phu Quoc, which lies only 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the Cambodian coast, could ultimately constrain the ambitious development plans. Officials refused to say how large a presence the Vietnamese military maintains on the 565-square-kilometre (217-square-mile) island, but locals say it is considerable.

Many islanders are rubbing their hands with glee in anticipation of their future earning potential, but some are not entirely happy about their peaceful tropical home being invaded by a mass influx of camera-wielding tourists. "My children and grandchildren want to see more visitors because that means more money, but I don't because I was born here. Life will be more peaceful without them," says Nguyen Van Thoi, a 72-year-old fishermen.

Agence France Presse - September 19, 2004