Hosting IRONMAN 70.3 - Phu Quoc seeks solutions to tourism development problems

Huge profits from IRONMAN events

The IRONMAN triathlon is known as one of the world's toughest "one-day sporting events" with three long-distance events including swimming, cycling and running, with a total standard distance of up to 140.6 miles (225.8 km). IRONMAN 70.3 (Half IRONMAN) is a shortened distance version with a total distance of 70.3 miles including a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run.

The popularity of the IRONMAN world tour has grown exponentially over the years. In 2005, there were 14 full-distance IRONMAN triathlons around the world, attracting more than 15,000 registered athletes. By 2022, there will be approximately 94,000 athletes competing in approximately 44 events worldwide.

The IRONMAN tournament generates huge revenue from tourism and services for the town of Kailua - Kona (Hawaii, USA)

IRONMAN tournaments also bring great benefits to the tourism industry, because each athlete will usually be accompanied by 2-3 relatives during the competition journey. For example, the IRONMAN World Championships in Kailua - Kona attract an average of 10,000 visitors, corresponding to about 2,500 athletes participating. That is why these tournaments receive support from local authorities because they create a lot of jobs for people and bring huge revenue to the tourism industry.

St. George - a city located in the southwest of Utah (USA), is one of the typical successful models in exploiting tourism benefits from triathlon sports tournaments.

In 2022, the city was chosen to host the IRONMAN World Championship. During the tournament, nearly 12,000 tourists from 80 countries visited St. George, generating a total of more than 83,000 hotel and vacation rental nights, bringing $41.7 million to the local economy.

Huge bike park with bikes worth tens of thousands of dollars at the IRONMAN St. George tournament

In Asia, the most famous IRONMAN tournament destinations include Bintan Island (Indonesia), Phuket Island (Thailand), Langkawi Island (Malaysia), Penghu City (Taiwan)...

Opportunity for Phu Quoc when hosting the IRONMAN 70.3 tournament

In 2022, Phu Quoc will host an Olympic-standard triathlon for the first time. With a distance of 51.5 km, the BIM Group 5150 Phu Quoc 2022 tournament attracted more than 400 athletes from 35 countries around the world to compete.

With professional and thoughtful preparation, not only meeting professional standards but also impressing with accommodation and entertainment conditions during the tournament, Phu Quoc initially showed its potential as an international sports tourism destination.

Following that success, Phu Quoc has recently been chosen as the next location for IRONMAN 70.3 in Vietnam. The BIM Group IRONMAN 70.3 Phu Quoc 2023 tournament will take place from 17- November 19, 2023.

According to information from the tournament's organizers, nearly 1,500 athletes have registered to participate in the tournament from many countries and territories around the world, attracting thousands of tourists to the pearl island during the tournament.

Phu Quoc Marina Resort and Entertainment Complex was chosen as the venue for the BIM Group IRONMAN 70.3 Phu Quoc tournament activities.

This is considered positive news for Phu Quoc tourism right before the peak season at the end of the year. The pearl island is looking for measures to revive the tourism industry after unfavorable statistics in 2023.

The BIM Group IRONMAN 70.3 Triathlon Sports Festival will be a great opportunity for Phu Quoc to promote its natural beauty, rich cuisine and local cultural heritage to international friends, through "ambassadors" who are athletes from all over the world.

Triathletes are a high-spending group of tourists who need long-term stays to prepare thoroughly for the tournament. By becoming an annual venue, Phu Quoc will also attract athletes to return regularly to practice, adapt to the competition conditions, combined with other leisure and entertainment needs.

With international standard facilities combined with ideal tropical beauty, Phu Quoc Island is expected to become a prominent destination on the global IRONMAN map.

Each international athlete will become a "tourism ambassador" of Phu Quoc.

Photo: BIM Group 5150 Triathlon Phu Quoc 2022

As one of the key investment groups in Phu Quoc, BIM Group has accompanied the local government and the organizer Sunrise Events Vietnam in bringing the international IRONMAN 70.3 tournament to the pearl island and committed to maintaining the tournament for many years. This promises to be a valuable addition to Phu Quoc's tourism product portfolio in the sports tourism category, contributing to shaping the Phu Quoc destination brand, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the pearl island with other sea and island destinations in the region.

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