(TITC) - On January 14th 2022 in Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang Provincial People’s Committee held a conference on cooperation to promote investment, trade and tourism via airway in Phu Quoc City. This is a task in a series of events marking the recovery of the tourism industry in Kien Giang Province, especially Phu Quoc City where aiming to reopen gradually and develop the economy.
Mr. Bui Quoc Thai, Director of the Kien Giang Department of Tourism giving his speech at the conference
Mr. Bui Quoc Thai, Director of the Kien Giang Department of Tourism indicated that: this is a momentous event in order to strengthen promoting tourism merge with trade and investment among Kien Giang Province and airlines to domestic and international tourists via domestic and international air routes.
‘Kien Giang Province is longing for further promotion activities to stimulate the demand and restore the local tourism post Covid-19 pandemic’, said Mr. Bui Quoc Thai.
In recent years, tourism is asserted gradually as an industry with significant contributions to the socio-economic development of Kien Giang Province. In 2020, as the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the total number of visitors to Kien Giang Province reached only 5.2 million arrivals, received a down turn of 40% compared to 2019 and the receipts dropped to VND 7,867 billion.
Step to 2021, once again, Vietnam was hit by a harsh wave of Covid-19, Kien Giang Province only welcomed over 3.1 million arrivals, accomplishing 44.7% of the plan, dropping 41.8% over the same period. In which, international tourists were estimated at 3,500 arrivals, reaching 0.88% of the plan, dropping 98% over the same period. Total receipts is approximately VND3,199 billion, completing 25.2% of the plan.
The muddle development of the Covid-19 pandemic can be seen crystal clear in the past 2 years has crucially affected the investment, trade and tourism promotion activities of Kien Giang Province.
Mr. Bui Quoc Thai further added, recently, there are around 326 investment plans in Phu Quoc City, with over 10.945 hectares in total area, total registered investment capital of more than VND354 trillion; in which there are top leading economic groups investing in Phu Quoc, indicating to create number of advantages to develop Phu Quoc into a major tourism and service centre of the country, Southeast Asia and the world, with the main breadwinners: Tourism-services, entertainment, resort; finance and banking and marine economy.
Ms. Pham Thi Nguyet, Acting Head of Marketing Department, Vietnam Airlines implied: with the goal of comprehensive cooperation, accompanying the locality, Vietnam Airlines and Kien Giang Province agreed to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement to work simultaneously in the process ‘opening up against the pandemic’, implementing measures to stimulate demand, promoting the image of Phu Quoc tourism as a ‘safe destination’, asserting the destination brand of Vietnam tourism in general and Kien Giang in particular.
In the primary phase, it is expected to focus on markets with well disease control such as Japan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, creating a green route among countries connecting tourist destinations to Vietnam. The next phase will gradually expand to the US, Europe, China, Hongkong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia markets.
‘In 2022 and the following years, Vietnam Airlines commits to cooperate with Kien Giang Province to launch Phu Quoc destination by advertisements, launching articles on the mass media; jointly organise tourism events, local tourism stimulation campaigns; develop preferential fare policies for tourism businesses participating in the campaigns; organise domestic and international famtours and press tours to inspect, exchange, cooperate and variety relevant activities’, Ms. Nguyet added.
In the coming time, it is crucial to create momentum for economic recovery. Kien Giang province will concentrate on promoting in all three areas, including: attracting investments, exports and tourism, gradually recover the international and domestic tourist markets, and restoring related service provision activities of the tourism industry.
By this cooperation with airlines, Phu Quoc has been and continue to be an attractive destination for both domestic and international tourists, jointly recover local economy post Covid-19 and contributing to the overall development of the tourism and aviation industry.
Tourism Information Technology Center
