A local Party official in Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam has proposed that Phu Quoc City, a popular island destination off the coast of the province, offer forest land for lease in order to boost tourism development.

Tong Phuoc Truong, secretary of the Party Committee of Phu Quoc City, urged various departments and agencies to promptly expedite the execution of the proposal at a conference on Friday.

Truong suggested leasing forested areas for the structured growth of tourism, particularly within marine conservation zones, to prevent unplanned expansion. 

“The marine farming activities [the cultivation of marine species] have been rather haphazard and lacking in a systematic approach,” Truong said. 

“Hence, it is advisable for departments to assist Phu Quoc in swiftly initiating aquaculture initiatives, aligning with both conservation and tourism development objectives.”

In January-September, Kien Giang welcomed more than 7.3 million tourists, resulting in a total budget revenue of nearly VND11 trillion (US$452.6 million).

During key holiday periods such as Reunification Day (April 30) and National Day (September 2), as well as the summer this year, both Kien Giang and Phu Quoc experienced a decline in tourist numbers compared to the corresponding months in 2022.

Notably, there was a substantial decline of 41.3 percent in tourist arrivals in September compared to August and a 1.3-percent decrease over the same period last year.

Despite these holiday-related drops, the overall number of tourists visiting Kien Giang during the first nine months of the year increased 20.3 percent compared to the same period in 2022, primarily due to a significant surge in the early months of the year.

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