HCMC – Several domestic airlines have discontinued their services to Phu Quoc Island off the coast of Kien Giang Province due to lower-than-expected travel demand.
At present, only three routes, which connect the island with Hanoi, HCMC and Haiphong, are operational.
According to Nguyen Minh Dong, director of Phu Quoc International Airport, flights from Danang, Can Tho, and Nha Trang to Phu Quoc have been inactive for several months.
In contrast, international flights from destinations such as South Korea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, and Beijing continue to bring foreign visitors to Phu Quoc, with an average of 1,700 guests a day.
Bamboo Airways has announced to suspend services to some local and international services, including Can Tho-Phu Quoc. Bamboo Airways was the sole carrier operating flights on this route, and there has been no indication of interest from other airlines in launching services between these two destinations.
Phu Quoc International Airport’s statistics showed that during the first five months of the year, there were an average of 160,000 to 170,000 local visitors to Phu Quoc a month. This figure surged to 200,000 arrivals during the peak summer holiday months of July and August but has dropped by a significant 30-50% over the past three months.
From January to November, the number of local visitors traveling to Phu Quoc by air reached 68% of the target, equivalent to 3.9 million arrivals, down by 25% over the previous year.
The decline in local visitors to Phu Quoc is largely attributed to higher airfares. Room occupancy is forecast to be low during upcoming public holidays and the New Year, according to hotel and restaurant owners on the island.
