An Giang Province is exploiting its natural beauty, diversifying tourism products, building the image of the people of the tourist land into "ambassadors" in the hearts of tourists.
Building people of the tourist land
Park Eun Jung, Chief Representative of the Korea Tourism Organisation in Viet Nam, visited Tran Hoang Phuong's house on November 15, 2025, to thank him for his actions in helping Korean tourists. She said that not only did the press and television in Viet Nam report the news, but many news sites, newspapers, and radio stations in the Republic of Korea (RoK) also reported it widely. Korean people are grateful for the kindness of the Vietnamese people, especially Phuong, who supported a stranger in difficult times. Park Eun Jung presented Phuong with a gift and a certificate of merit as a thank you from the RoK. “We appreciate Phuong’s noble gesture. The story vividly depicts the close relationship between the people of the two countries, not only in the field of tourism but also in daily life. We strive to make sure that Vietnamese people, when visiting the RoK, can also feel the same joy and friendliness,” Park Eun Jung shared.
Phuong was sitting in front of his house on the afternoon of November 2, when a male Korean tourist came to ask for help finding his elderly mother (with temporary memory loss) who was lost in Phu Quoc. Phuong immediately took a motorbike to take the Korean tourist to find his mother; at the same time, he posted the information on a group in Phu Quoc, asking for the community’s support. After many hours of searching, Phuong and the Korean tourist found the old woman. Phuong's actions then went viral and were highly praised by the online community. The Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Quoc Special Zone decided to award Phuong a certificate of merit for his outstanding achievements in supporting foreign tourists.
Vice Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Phu Quoc Special Zone Nguyen Thi Kim Loan shared that Phu Quoc people have a tradition of enthusiastically supporting tourists in all situations. Phuong's actions, despite being ordinary, bring great value to the image of the people and local tourism.
"Helping anyone in difficult times is always the right thing to do, especially visitors from far away. I want tourists to understand that Phu Quoc people are friendly and enthusiastic, ready to support and help them," Tran Hoang Phuong affirmed.
On the pearl island, many businesses have proactively included free photography at famous locations in their tours, contributing to bringing the image of An Giang's sea and islands closer to the international market.
“I am impressed with the way tourism is done here; it shows that Phu Quoc people are very generous and open-minded,” said Nguyen Thanh Hai (Gia Lai Province) after visiting Hon May Rut and taking free photos with professional staff.
With the desire to bring beautiful images of the Phu Quoc Sea and islands to the world, Dang Khoa Trip Phu Quoc Company of Nguyen Minh Tam includes free photography in the tour. “In the tour, we take photos completely free of charge for tourists. We understand that when coming to Phu Quoc, tourists not only admire the beautiful scenery, but also want to save memories. However, with a phone, it is difficult to take beautiful photos from above,” Tam shared.
Towards a new tourism centre
An Giang Province owns a complete tourism ecosystem: a diverse sea-and-island paradise (Phu Quoc–Ha Tien–Kien Hai); spiritual land (Sam Mountain-Cam Mountain), natural cajuput forests (Tra Su cajuput forest and U Minh Thuong National Park), and is considered a locality with rich tourism resources. Director of the Provincial Department of Tourism Bui Quoc Thai said that the province has identified tourism as a key economic sector and has submitted to the Prime Minister a project to develop Phu Quoc into a high-quality eco-tourism-service centre, with the goal of welcoming more than 3 million international visitors by 2030.
According to Tran Thanh Nghi, Director of Ben Thanh Tourist branch, An Giang Province has an advantage that is rare in other places. The advantage is the resonance from the Khmer, Chinese, Cham communities in the border area, the advantage of developing community tourism. Nghi proposed the model “Colours of the Mekong Border”, emphasising the participation of tourists in creating products with the community, from learning to make Khmer rice cakes, weaving Cham brocade, to experiencing traditional costumes. “We can take advantage of digital technology to restore culture and relic spaces, such as recreating the Oc Eo site, building Khmer, Chinese, and Cham villages with 3D models or helping to experience history through VR glasses”, Tran Thanh Nghi proposed.
From the strategic tourism products of An Giang, Le Dinh Minh Thy, Director of Vietravel Can Tho branch, proposed a series of linked tours: Journey "From That Son to the Pearl Sea", visiting Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain, climbing Cam Mountain, exploring Tra Su cajuput forest before going to Ha Tien, and going to Phu Quoc for a vacation. Or the caravan tour "Border–Sea Route" connecting Long Xuyen–Chau Doc–Tinh Bien–Ha Tien–Rach Gia–Phu Quoc, extending stay time, combining border trade, and high-end beach resorts.
So far, An Giang Province has 317 tourism projects, with an area of nearly 10,000 hectares and an investment capital of more than 402,000 billion VND. The whole province has more than 1,091 accommodation establishments with 38,024 rooms and 62 international travel businesses. However, according to Director of the Department of Tourism Bui Quoc Thai, the province's tourism industry still faces challenges in terms of transport infrastructure, human resource quality, limitations in night tourism, and international competitiveness.
An Giang Province aims to welcome 39.5 million visitors by 2030, including more than 3 million international visitors, with total revenue of 108,450 billion VND; and to become a key tourism area of Viet Nam. By 2050, An Giang Province will become an international sea and island tourism centre, developing green-smart tourism based on three pillars: tourist economy, high-quality human resources, and modern inter-regional infrastructure. To achieve the above goal, the province's tourism industry must focus on expanding visa exemption policies; innovating promotion, taking advantage of opportunities from international events such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in 2027; promoting digital transformation; and training human resources.
Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People's Committee Ho Van Mung said that in the first 10 months of 2025, An Giang Province welcomed more than 21.3 million visitors, of which more than 1.38 million were international visitors, with total revenue of about 56,056 billion VND. In the coming time, the Department of Tourism and localities must urgently build and design the provincial tourism logo and slogan. Tours, routes, and tourism products must be redesigned to become diverse, attractive, and suitable to the consumption needs of tourists in the new context.
"Relevant sectors review and complete synchronous and modern tourism infrastructure, ensuring connectivity among inter-regional tourist areas and potential destinations. They must strengthen management of tourism activities, improve the quality of tourism services at destinations; focus on building a safe, civilised, and friendly tourism environment to enhance the reputation and image of the province's tourism in the Vietnamese and international markets," Mung emphasised.
