Phú Quốc is experiencing an unprecedented accommodation crunch during the New Year period, with nearly all hotels and resorts reporting full occupancy. A midday check on 29 December found 99% of properties booked for the period from 1 January to 4 January, leaving only a handful of options at sharply elevated prices. Luxury villas were listed at up to VND95 million for three nights, while the cheapest available rooms in outlying areas began at about VND4.5 million for the same stay.
Phú Quốc tourism surge strains room supply
Industry sources say the surge is mainly driven by a sudden increase in international visitors from Eastern Europe, Mongolia and Central Asia, aided by a stream of charter flights from Bucharest and Chisinau. Data from Agoda show searches for Phú Quốc from Eastern European travellers rose by 113% year on year. The island’s visa exemption for 30 days and its favourable dry season weather between October and May have made it an attractive winter destination.
Wyndham Grand Phú Quốc, a resort with 1,399 rooms, reported occupancy above 90% throughout December and was effectively sold out from Christmas to after the New Year period. The resort said approximately 90% of guests during this stretch were international. Travel agents confirmed they have been forced to turn away dozens of requests daily because room allocations were exhausted well in advance.
Part of the pressure stems from Phú Quốc’s relatively small accommodation base. The island offers only around 38% of the room capacity available in larger coastal destinations such as Nha Trang or Đà Nẵng. That mismatch between a sudden spike in demand and constrained supply has allowed online travel agencies to raise rates sharply. For example, a four-star hotel on the southern island listed a final available room at VND45 million for three nights over New Year, compared with just over VND10 million for the same hotel in mid-February.
For travellers planning future trips, tourism experts recommend booking one to two months ahead of major holidays to secure better rates and availability. While hotels are scarce, return flights from Hanoi to Phú Quốc during this peak still traded at about VND5.8 million roundtrip, which agents described as acceptable for high season. If full-package options are unavailable, visitors can buy individual services such as cable car tickets, safari entries or night squid fishing tours to keep itineraries flexible.
The current rush marks what local authorities and industry observers call a golden season for Phú Quốc as it increasingly attracts foreign holidaymakers. The surge in arrivals is expected to help the island exceed visitor targets, with officials citing momentum that could push international arrivals beyond the 1.2 million target set for 2024. The boom underlines the growing economic importance of tourism to Phú Quốc and the wider province, but it also highlights the need for longer term planning on accommodation capacity and transport links to handle future spikes in demand.
As Phú Quốc heads into the peak tourist months, local businesses and officials will be watching closely to balance the immediate gains from high occupancy and pricing with investments in infrastructure and services that can sustain growth without pricing out domestic travellers.
Key Takeaways:
- Phú Quốc tourism surge has left 99% of hotels fully booked for New Year, with villa rates reaching VND95 million for three nights.
- Charter flights from Eastern Europe and demand from Mongolia and Central Asia pushed occupancy to capacity, with foreign guests dominating bookings.
- Limited room supply, about 38% of the capacity of Nha Trang and Đà Nẵng, magnified the price spike during peak dates.
