Phu Quoc, an island city off Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam, expects to welcome more Chinese tourists and commits to providing maximum support to Chinese airlines which carry travelers to the city, said chairman of the administration in Phu Quoc City Huynh Quang Hung.

Authorities in Phu Quoc and local tourism enterprises on Sunday worked with a delegation of the Chinese Consulate General and the China Business Association in Vietnam on promoting Phu Quoc tourism.

Hung said the number of international tourists to Phu Quoc surged over 200 percent in the first three months of this year.

The city has proposed the government extend the visa waiver period for foreigners to 90 days from the current 30 days.

It has planned more runways and aircraft parking spaces at Phu Quoc International Airport to increase the airport’s capacity to 10-20 million passengers per year.

“Phu Quoc is an attractive tourist destination. We hope Chinese airlines to bring more tourists to Phu Quoc,” Hung noted.

Xu Zhou, Deputy Consul General of China in Ho Chi Minh City, said 1.2 million Chinese travelers visited Vietnam in the first four months of this year, making up some 30 percent of the total number of foreign tourists to the Southeast Asian country.

Chinese tourists’ demand for information about tourism in Vietnam, including Phu Quoc, has increased.

“Phu Quoc left me and my family with a strong impression. Phu Quoc’s tourism has shown many changes," Zhou said.

“I believe that Chinese airlines and travel companies will introduce Phu Quoc to their friends and relatives.

“We pledge, and are willing to, act as a bridge for the development of tourism of the two countries and [call on] Chinese tourists to visit Phu Quoc."

The delegation of the Chinese Consulate General and the China Business Association in Vietnam visited famed hotels and tourist sites in Phu Quoc City, enjoyed the multimedia show 'Kiss of the Sea' and fireworks displays in Sunset Town, experienced the world’s longest sea-crossing three-wire cable car route to Hon Thom Island, explored the island, and enjoyed seafood there between Friday and Sunday last week.

Ha Tuan Minh, director of Winner Phu Quoc International Travel Co. Ltd., said the Chinese market was potential and would open up new opportunities to boost Phu Quoc’s tourism.

The company will join hands with partners to design tours to the Kiss Bridge, Sunset Town, and islets in Phu Quoc City, during which tourists can go fishing, catch squid at night, and dive to admire coral reefs, to attract domestic and international travelers to Phu Quoc in the summer this year.

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