The international music event acts as a catalyst to revive Phu Quoc tourism. What does the pearl island do to take advantage of and maintain its attractiveness after the event has passed?
Phu Quoc tourism takes advantage of opportunities from international music events
Phu Quoc tourism is bustling again
Since the morning of December 16, at Grand World Phu Quoc, electric cars, taxis and large vehicles have brought a large number of tourists to visit and have fun at the Vietnam quintessence area, the Phu Quoc Teddy Bear Museum, the legendary Phu Quoc bamboo project...
At Bai Vong port (Ham Ninh commune) and Phu Quoc international airport, tourists are also bustling.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Mong Nhu, a tourist from District 1 (HCMC), said that she and her family will be going to Phu Quoc for two days. In addition to sightseeing, swimming, and having fun, Ms. Nhu also came to watch the 8Wonder music festival taking place on the evening of December 16.
"The number of tourists coming to Phu Quoc is quite bustling. In this Grand World area, there are places to eat, drink, and have fun, and we are especially excited to wait until the evening to see the band Maroon 5 perform," said Ms. Nhu.
According to Mr. Nguyen Vu Khac Huy - General Director of Vina Phu Quoc Tourism Company Limited, from now until New Year 2024, Phu Quoc tourism will be very vibrant with many international-class events taking place such as: 8Wonder music festival at Vinpearl Phu Quoc, the launching event of Cau Hon (December 22). Domestic tourists, international tourists and foreigners living and working in Vietnam come to the pearl island to have fun.
Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Chairman of Kien Giang Tourism Association, said that international-class events are the conditions for Phu Quoc tourism to become vibrant again. Currently, the occupancy rate of 4-5 star hotels in Phu Quoc has reached about 70%, while the occupancy rate of 3 star hotels has not reached the expected level. However, the situation will improve further by New Year's Day.
Take advantage of international events to elevate the destination
After the Charlie Puth concert in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, the ripple effects were recorded as bringing nearly 8,000 people to Nha Trang, the number of room bookings increased 6 times compared to normal days and this effect happened similarly with Phu Quoc.
Mr. Juergen Doerr, CEO of Vinpearl Holding Company, affirmed that a music festival is not an entertainment event but through it will create and elevate an entire destination and the reputation of a country.
Season 1 of 8Wonder made a splash with Charlie Puth's performance at Vinpearl Nha Trang. And season 2 saw Maroon 5, the band behind global hits. This partnership will promote the destination as well as the world-class level of the artists.
And in recent days, along with the keyword Maroon 5, news surrounding "Phu Quoc", "8wonder"... has attracted much attention from the media and social networks.
According to Traveloka statistics, during the two days of BlackPink's concert in Hanoi, more than 170,000 tourists visited the city, generating significant revenue.
"The concert of the famous band Maroon 5 on December 16 in Phu Quoc also contributed to promoting the tourism industry. Our latest data shows that the number of searches for flights to Phu Quoc during the Maroon 5 concert ticket sales period increased 10 times compared to last month. In addition, the number of hotel check-ins in Phu Quoc during the concert more than doubled compared to last week," said Mr. Caesar Indra, president of Traveloka.
According to Mr. Juergen Doerr, through two seasons of 8Wonder, the effectiveness of this promotional method shows that it is very effective in terms of communication and economic spread.
"We worked with international consultants to create a top-notch program to promote and boost Vietnam tourism as well as Vietnam destinations. We chose Phu Quoc not only because it has a stage next to the beach with a capacity of 10,000 people.
More importantly, this is a tourist destination where Vinpearl has a complete ecosystem with Phu Quoc Safari, Vinwonders or Vinpearl accommodation system. From there, it can promote Vietnam tourism.
Our plan is to organize music festivals, events every year or twice a year. Right after this 8Wonder Winter Festival we will start the next event," Mr. Juergen Doerr affirmed.
Phu Quoc benefits from international music shows
On the afternoon of December 16, Mr. Huynh Quang Hung, Chairman of Phu Quoc City People's Committee, said that Phu Quoc has never had an international-scale music festival as explosive as the 8Wonder Winter Festival.
The event with the participation of American band Maroon 5 had a positive impact not only on Phu Quoc but also on Vietnam tourism. On December 15 and 16, the number of flights was increased with wide-body aircraft bringing a large number of tourists from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc to watch the Maroon 5 concert.
In the last months of 2023, the number of visitors to Phu Quoc increased dramatically, with an average of 12-15 international flights arriving to Phu Quoc every day, of which flights from Korea alone accounted for nearly half with 5-6 flights/day. At the same time, the number of domestic visitors also increased with about 90 two-way flights.
By the end of 2023, Phu Quoc is estimated to welcome about 2.8 million visitors, of which international visitors will reach nearly 300,000.
According to Mr. Huynh Quang Hung, to continue maintaining the growth rate, the city is recommending that the Vietnam National Tourism Administration have more promotion and advertising programs and recommending that airlines have reasonable price policies that balance the structure of people's travel expenses.
