Phú Quốc planned as int’l tourist center

VGP – Under the overall planning scheme approved by the PM last week, Phú Quốc Island in Kiên Giang Province will become a high-grade tourist and service center of Việt Nam and in Southeast Asia.

December 15, 2008 9:00 AM GMT+7

An angle of Phú Quốc

With the total area of 593 km²,the island will function as a special economic and administrative zone; an international tourist and trade center; a regional-level training and research center; and an important transport hub.

Phú Quốc is a district, with two towns (Dương Đông and An Thới) and eight communes (Cửa Cạn, Gành Dầu, Bãi Thơm, Hàm Ninh, Cửa Dương, Dương Tơ, Thổ Châu and Hòn Thơm), having a population of 260,000-320,000 (by 2020) and 540,000-800,000 (by 2030).

Annually, Phú Quốc receives 150,000 tourists. The figure is estimated to reach 2-3 million by 2020, in which 35-40% are international tourists.

Its spatial structure consists of different areas for urban development, ecotourism, agricultural production, and natural park and biosphere reserves.

There will be concentrated industrial and handicraft areas outside residential and tourist quarters and far from ecological areas.

Green parks, water surfaces and open spaces will be planned to facilitate waterway transport and irrigation work as well as embellish landscape.

Protective and specially-purposed forests, coral reefs, seaweed park, and biosphere reserves will be strictly protected.

The urban infrastructure system, especially airports and seaports, will be modernized to serve the long-term development.

By Phương Uyên