Tourism potential of islands in southwest Vietnam unlocked

Yachts serving tourists exploring Phu Quoc's island waters, Kien Giang province. (Photo: VNA)

Kien Giang - Kien Giang, a coastal province located in the southwesternmost of Vietnam, boasts over 200 kilometres of coastline and more than 143 islands with picturesque beaches attracting millions of tourists annually.

The Hai Tac (pirate) archipelago, situated in Tien Hai commune, Ha Tien city, consists of 18 islands, spanning over 250 hectares. Since being officially recognised as a local tourism area in early 2018 by the provincial People's Committee, this cluster of islands has seen substantial investment and development to tap into its tourism potential, spurring economic and social growth.

Nguyen Thi Mong Quyen, Director of Ha Tien city’s centre for investment, trade, and tourism promotion, highlighted that in recent years, Hai Tac has become a hub for community-based eco-tourism, drawing approximately 400,000 visitors on an annual basis.

Hon Son, a small island in Lai Son commune, Kien Hai district, covers an area of 11.5 square kilometres and lies 65 kilometres west of Rach Gia city.

Vice Chairman of the Lai Son People’s Committee Tran Quoc Tien said the island's tourism industry has flourished since 2018, drawing between 600,000 and 700,000 tourists each year, with a consistent growth rate of 10 - 15% year-on-year.

Kien Giang province has attracted 317 tourism-related investment projects worth over 16.5 billion USD so far. In 2024 alone, it has welcomed more than 9.8 million visitors, earning more than 25 trillion VND (982.9 million USD) in tourism revenue. Island and archipelago tourism played a significant role in these impressive figures, according to the province's centre for investment, trade, and tourism promotion.

Looking ahead, Director of the centre Quang Xuan Lua announced plans to improve existing tourism products while developing three unique ones, namely karst and coastal ecosystem tours in Ha Tien and Tien Luong, observation of dugongs, dolphins, and sea turtles in Phu Quoc’s natural environment, and eco-tours in Phu Quoc's tropical rainforest. Other proposed initiatives include border-gate tours, archeological exploration of the Oc Eo Civilisation, yachting, shopping, creative tourism, virtual reality experiences, and wilderness adventures in Ha Tien and the Hai Tac.

Lua stressed that Kien Giang will continue investing in infrastructure, mobilising resources for tourism development, and enhancing the communications and foreign language skills of local residents to empower them in community-based tourism.

Strengthening collaboration with other provinces and international partners, embracing digital transformation, and integrating into the global tourism network remain key priorities for the province, she said./.