Phu Quy has a boom in accommodation before the peak season.

Binh Thuan The number of accommodation establishments on Phu Quy Island increased by 60% compared to 2019, the number of new motels and homestays in operation is the highest ever.

Mr. Bui The Nhan, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Thuan province, said that in 2023, the island district welcomed 165,000 tourists , more than double that of 2022. During the peak period of April 30 - May 1 and summer, the number of visitors to the island was overloaded, while the number of rooms was limited, leaving many visitors without a place to stay. 2023 is also the year that the number of hotels, motels and homestays on the island will be in operation the most ever, of which 25 - 30% of the facilities will be newly built.

A local house has been converted into a homestay to serve tourists. Photo: Huynh Nhu — A local house has been converted into a homestay to serve tourists. Photo: *Huynh Nhu*

"Currently, on the island there are 60 hotels and motels with more than 1,000 rooms and nearly 100 homestays registered for business and in operation," said Mr. Nhan.

Many people, seeing the potential for tourism business on Phu Quy Island, have decided to invest in building hotels and opening homestays. Huynh Nhu, from Ho Chi Minh City, said she visited Phu Quy Island twice in 2022 and saw that the place has a lot of potential for tourism business. She decided to rent a local house on the island, renovate it into an accommodation and start her entrepreneurial journey on the island from March 2023.

Nhu's "Nha Minh Homestay" in 2023 serves guests at full capacity, with a 100% occupancy rate in May and June. The remaining months have scattered guests due to bad weather. Nhu said that when her homestay started operating, it also had to compete with other newly established accommodation establishments, especially those along the coast. The speed of accommodation development also pushed up the price of houses and land on the island.

When Nhu rented a house last year, the rent was only about 30-40 million VND per year. "Since the beginning of the year, I have surveyed some places that have increased the rent to 80-100 million VND per year. Houses and land for rent are all signed with contracts from 3 to 5 years," Nhu said.

Snorkeling and SUP spot at Bai Can, Phu Quy, photo taken in 2023. Photo: Huynh Ka — Snorkeling and SUP spot at Bai Can, Phu Quy, photo taken in 2023. Photo: *Huynh Ka*

Local tour guide Huynh Ka said that tourism on the island has developed rapidly since April 2023. Before 2019, only Tam Thanh commune in the center had many households doing accommodation and food business. Now the scale has expanded to Long Hai commune, about 2 km from the center. The island has "transformed".

In Long Hai, most of the motels were built last year, along the coast, and have been in operation for a few months. In Ngu Phung commune, which previously had almost no accommodation, now has nearly 50 homestays.

Mr. Nguyen Van Linh, Deputy Director of Phu Quy Island Tourism Cooperative, said the island is not yet officially in peak tourist season. Visitors usually gather at the beachside villas.

A local house has been converted into a beachside restaurant in Bai Can, Phu Quy. Photo: Huynh Ka — A local house has been converted into a beachside restaurant in Bai Can, Phu Quy. Photo: *Huynh Ka*

The owner of a homestay in Ngu Phung commune said that since the beginning of March, newly built houses with sea views in Long Hai commune have been fully booked even on weekdays. Some places are completely full until May or June. Accommodations located inside, without views, still have many empty rooms but have started to have guests asking to book for the upcoming April 30-May 1 holidays.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Thuan province, the demand for tourism, recreation and relaxation on the coast increases during the April 30 - May 1 holidays and summer, and this is also a favorable time to travel to the island. Mr. Nhan expects the number of visitors to the island for tourism and relaxation during this time will continue to increase, about 7,000.

Mr. Bui The Nhan said that tourism activities have been bustling on the island recently. The number of accommodation establishments on the island has increased rapidly, including homestays, but the number of spontaneous homestays is very small. Local communes have strengthened management work, moving towards eliminating spontaneous homestays.

The locality is calling on businesses and investors to survey and research investment in Phu Quy tourist area with high-end, green and sustainable tourism types, improving the quality of tourists. "In the coming time, the locality will create favorable conditions to attract investment, especially strategic investors and professional tourism management corporations to Phu Quy tourist area," said Mr. Nhan.

Since the Dau Giay - Phan Thiet expressway was put into use, the travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet has been shortened, the number of tourists to Phu Quy has increased. The "cha cha cha fishing village" effect - a nickname given by tourists after a famous Korean movie, spreading on travel groups, has also made the offshore island of Binh Thuan more attractive to visitors.

Bich Phuong

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