Functional forces in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang on Sunday inspected several tourist bungalows built without permission in Ham Ninh Commune of Phu Quoc Island City, where tourism is booming.

The inspection came following Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper’s report on the illegal constructions that have become commonplace in the popular resort island off southern Vietnam.

The illicitly-built tourist bungalows encroached on the Phu Quoc marine protected areas.

They were constructed on concrete pillars firmly planted into the ground below the water and connected to the shore via a wooden boardwalk.

Local authorities have granted construction certificates to none of these tourist bungalows, some of the owners of the structures admitted.

The Kien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and related agencies have pledged to thoroughly handle these violations in accordance with the law and ensure the violators will return the seabed of the affected marine protected areas to their original state.

Belonging to the Phu Quoc National Park, the Phu Quoc marine protected areas cover a total zone of more than 40,000 hectares, including 7,087 hectares under strict protection, 11,537 hectares for ecological restoration, 9,817 hectares for service and administration, and 12,467 hectares preserved as a buffer zone.

In the first six months of this year, the number of tourists to Phu Quoc was estimated at 1.4 million, including 46,200 international visitors. 

This resulted in total tourism revenue of more than VND2.84 trillion (US$121.4 million), up 46 percent over the same period last year, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

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