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

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Vietnam to make biggest island tourist paradise

Vietnam has planned to develop its biggest island, Phu Quoc, into a major tourist destination with an international airport, a seaport and various entertainment facilities by 2020, according to local newspaper Young People on Tuesday.

Under a recent governmental decision, Phu Quoc in southern Kien Giang province will, from now to 2020, gradually have modern infrastructure and services, including national power grids, adventure tours, mountain climbing, relaxation, golf playing, and dog and horse racing. Construction of the airport in Duong To commune, capable of handling Boeing-767s, will start in 2008.

In 2020, Phu Quoc will have 18,000 hotels rooms, 60-70 percent of which belong to hotels of between 3 and 5 stars, and reap total tourism revenues of some 771 million U.S. dollars. In the year, it is expected to host 2-3 million tourists with foreign ones accounting for 35-40 percent. Phu Quoc, home to 68 hotels and guesthouses with a total of 1, 253 rooms, received over 102,500 visitors, including 34,200 foreigners in 2006. To date, it has housed 12 domestic and foreign- invested projects totaling 46.9 million U.S. dollars. Over 100 firms, including big ones from the United States, England, France and Germany, are waiting for being licensed to invest in Phu Quoc with combined investment of nearly 1.9 billion dollars.

Vietnam welcomed nearly 3.6 million foreign visitors, mainly from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, Western Europe and Eastern Europe, in 2006, up from nearly 3.5 million in 2005. Meanwhile, it hosted 17.5 million domestic visitors, up 9.4 percent, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. This year, Vietnam is eyeing 4.2-4.4 million foreign visitors and 18.5 million domestic ones, and tourism revenues of 2.5 billion dollars, the administration said. The country targets 5.5-6 million international arrivals and 25- 26 million domestic visitors, and total tourism revenues of 4-4.5 billion dollars in 2010.

Xinhua - April 3, 2007.