The 6-star luxury cruise ship, The World, run by a US-based firm took
180 tourists to Phu Quoc Island, southern Kien Giang province on
December 2.
The passengers hailing from all over
the world had explored Ha Long Bay, in northern Quang Ninh province, Hue
imperial city, Vung Tau city, Ho Chi Minh City before landing in Phu
Quoc Island, which is known widely as the Pearl Island.
During their one-day stay on the island, they toured popular
landscapes, pepper orchards, fish sauce factories, and Phu Quoc Prison
where Vietnamese communists were jailed during the war time.
The luxury cruise ship with 12 floors offering all kinds of
facilities for entertainment, sports and shopping can accommodate up to
270 guests plus crewmembers.
Beaches, seas and
islands, cultural heritage, and eco-tourism have been specified as
priorities in a recent tourism marketing strategy until 2020, drawn up
by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
The top-priority markets are Japan, the Republic of Korea and
mainland China, as well as Taipei (China), Russia and Southeast Asia,
besides Australia and New Zealand. India and the Middle East are
promising markets.
Vietnam has so far this year welcomed over 7.2 million international arrivals.
In 2015, Vietnam targets to welcome 8.5-9 million foreign arrivals
and 41.5 million domestic holiday makers, raking 290 trillion VND (13.6
billion USD).-VNA