HCMC – Kien Giang Province has submitted a proposal to the Government seeking approval to turn the island district of Phu Quoc into a city, which once approved, will make Phu Quoc the first island city in Vietnam, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.
According to the scheme, Phu Quoc City would cover more than 575 square kilometers and have a population of 177,540 people. The city would have two wards—Duong Dong and An Thoi—and six communes: Ham Ninh, Duong To, Ganh Dau, Bai Tho, Cua Duong and Cua Can. The current Hon Thom Commune would be merged with An Thoi Town to establish An Thoi Ward.
Duong Dong Ward covering 2,519 hectares would be developed into the city’s financial and commercial center, while An Thoi Ward covering more than 1,000 hectares would become a center for tourism and sea transport with an international seaport, light-industry cluster, cultural centers and historical relic sites.
It is expected that by 2030, Duong Dong and An Thoi wards will have a respective population of 240,000 and 70,000.
According to Mai Van Huynh, chairman of Phu Quoc District, between 2010 and 2019, Phu Quoc’s gross domestic product grew by more than 38% annually, nearly six times higher than the country’s average.
The island has become a major tourist attraction in Vietnam, with pristine beaches, unspoiled mountains, a dense tropical jungle, sumptuous and fresh seafood and convenient access to major cities in the region.
The number of tourists to Phu Quoc increased from 300,000 in 2010 to one million in 2015 and more than four million in 2019.
The Phu Quoc International Airport is connected to most major cities and provinces in Vietnam and more than 20 countries and territories around the world.
The island has more than 22,000 hotel rooms, with more than half of them rated three-five stars and the longest non-stop cable car route in the world, which links An Thoi and Hon Thom, with a length of 8 kilometers.
