Phu Quoc tops international search interest during the year-end holiday season

Amid the vibrant atmosphere of the year-end travel season, traditionally considered the peak period for international tourism, Phu Quoc continues to emerge as a “shining star” on Vietnam’s tourism map. According to statistics from online travel platform Agoda, based on global booking data from September to November for Christmas and New Year stays, demand for travel to Phu Quoc rose by an impressive 47%. This remarkable figure propelled Phu Quoc to the top position, ahead of Da Nang (42%) and Nha Trang, which ranked third.

Phu Quoc’s rise can largely be attributed to the island’s rapidly growing brand recognition on the global tourism map. The launch of an airline bearing the island’s name – Sun PhuQuoc Airways, has helped the Phu Quoc brand “take off,” making it more familiar to travelers worldwide.

Over the final three months of the year, Phu Quoc has been repeatedly honored by prestigious international travel awards. Condé Nast Traveler, one of the world’s leading travel magazines, named Phu Quoc the most beautiful island in Asia and among the top three in the world at its 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards. Notably, Phu Quoc also ranked fourth among the world’s top 10 trending destinations for 2026, according to global travel platform Expedia. Travel Off Path has dubbed the island the “Hawaii of Southeast Asia,” while Business Traveller listed Phu Quoc among the must-visit destinations of 2026.

Phu Quoc’s appeal begins, first and foremost, with its pristine natural beauty, featuring beaches likened to tropical paradises such as Kem Beach and Sao Beach. During the year-end months, the island enjoys near-perfect weather, with gentle sunshine, temperatures rarely exceeding 30°C, minimal rainfall and a pleasantly mild climate.

Beyond its natural charm, Phu Quoc boasts world-class entertainment and resort offerings comparable to top destinations globally. The world’s longest three-wire cable car to Hon Thom Island has been praised by international media outlets such as CNN and Lonely Planet as a “must-try” experience in Phu Quoc. The iconic Kiss Bridge, considered an architectural marvel, features two bridge spans that do not touch, allowing visitors each January 1 to witness the sun setting precisely between the two ends just 30 centimeters apart. Phu Quoc is also the only island in the world to host fireworks displays 365 days a year, with thousands of fireworks lighting up the sky nightly at Sunset Town.

Looking ahead, with its favorable visa policy – granting visa-free entry to all international visitors to Phu Quoc, alongside infrastructure projects progressing at “lightning speed” in preparation for APEC 2027, the island’s popularity is expected to continue its strong upward trajectory in the coming years.

These developments are already reflected in the numbers. Over the first 11 months of this year, Phu Quoc welcomed nearly 7.6 million visitors, up 35% year-on-year and exceeding the annual target by nearly 5%. International arrivals alone reached more than 242,000 in November, triple the figure recorded in the same period of 2024. Cumulatively, nearly 1.59 million international visitors arrived over the 11-month period, representing a 1.8-fold increase year-on-year and achieving 135% of the annual plan. Many hotels have reported full occupancy well in advance, with a growing trend of foreign travelers opting for long-term stays of 15–30 days to fully enjoy their winter holidays.

“Every destination has its own competitive advantages or distinctive characteristics. But for Phu Quoc, I believe its future potential is truly enormous,” said Nicky Kwok, Regional Business Development Director for Southeast Asia at Trip.com.

From its unique natural beauty and world-class entertainment and resort ecosystem to favorable visa policies and rapidly developing infrastructure in preparation for APEC 2027, all factors are converging to create unprecedented appeal for Pearl Island. As Vietnam’s tourism sector faces increasingly fierce regional competition, Phu Quoc’s position as the most searched destination by international travelers during the year-end period is not merely a short-term achievement, but a clear signal that the island is entering a new growth cycle – sustainable, robust, and worthy of its emerging status as “Asia’s new tourism icon.”