Will Phu Quoc replace Guam, Saipan for Korean families?
PHU QUOC, Vietnam — At a breakfast restaurant inside the Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort, Choi Hyun-ho, a Korean father in his 30s traveling with his wife, two children —ages 5 and 1 — and parents, gently wrestled with his youngest as the toddler squirmed in his arms Monday.
Asked about growing talk among Korean travelers that Phu Quoc could replace longtime family favorites Guam and Saipan, two Pacific island territories of the United States, Choi answered almost instantly.
"The (won-dollar) exchange rate is too high," he said, trying to calm the infant. "Airfare (to Phu Quoc) cost about 2 million won ($1,350) for the six of us. It's much cheaper than Guam or Saipan."
His wife pointed to another factor: affordability after arrival.
"Prices here are lower," she said. "We didn't use one, but babysitters are available at reasonable rates. Hotels here are known for offering sitter services, which helps when traveling with young children."
For decades, Guam and Saipan have been staples for South Korean families seeking easy beach getaways, prized for their short travel times and family-friendly resorts. But local tour industry officials say both islands have lost some appeal in recent years, as currency swings and higher fuel costs have pushed up airfares.
Tensions in the Middle East have added further pressure, disrupting global oil supplies and prompting airlines to raise fares and trim routes.
Over the years, and more recently at a faster pace, Vietnam has emerged as a leading alternative for South Korean vacationers. About 4.3 million South Koreans visited Vietnam last year, second only to Chinese visitors, who numbered 5.2 million.
Sun Group, a major Vietnamese developer, has been expanding to capture a larger share of the Korean family travel market. Of the 4.3 million Korean tourists, roughly 1.9 million, or 44 percent, used Sun Group facilities.
That strategy is evident in a new Sun Phu Quoc Airways route linking Incheon and Phu Quoc, which launched April 17. The airline plans to introduce business class on May 15, add an evening departure from Seoul in June and open a Busan route in August.
The first flight was almost full, with about 221 passengers and a load factor of 98 percent.
"I was on the flight, and there were notably many families with children," said Lim Chang-hyun, head of passenger sales and marketing for Sun Phu Quoc Airways in Korea.
Around 14 percent of the passengers were under 12, including 30 children and two infants.
A Korea Herald reporter joined the press tour, which included the inaugural flight and visits to key sites on the island. As Lim noted, children were a visible presence on board, among them two siblings seated nearby who cried for much of the trip.
The trip highlighted four reasons Phu Quoc is becoming more popular as a cost-effective option for families with children — and is likely to remain so.
On Vietnam's largest island, resorts and hotels are increasingly designed with families in mind.
The tour took journalists to four properties — La Festa Phu Quoc, Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort, JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa and Premier Residences Phu Quoc Emerald Bay — offering distinct approaches to hosting parents with children.
The most playful accommodation for children may be the JW Marriott, built around the conceit of a fictional 19th-century university.
The idea extends well beyond decor. A spa imagined as a "mushroom class," for instance, nods to "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." Elsewhere, pastel-toned buildings, librarylike spaces and themed classes create the feeling of a campus reimagined for leisure.
Other resorts are less theatrical but equally practical. Many emphasize connecting rooms for multigenerational families.
The reporter visited a dedicated children's club at Premier Village, which includes small pools for babies, a playground with a slide and indoor play areas filled with toys.
"It's busiest between 9:30 and 11 a.m.," a staff member at Premier Village said. "Families usually come right after breakfast."
Some tourist spots are impressive on their own, but they become even more engaging when paired with nearby experiences. The Kiss Bridge on Phu Quoc island is a great example.
Two narrow bridges stretch over the sea and almost meet after 800 meters. During the day, couples walk from each side and meet in the middle to kiss for photos, while drones fly overhead to capture the scene.
As evening falls, the mood shifts.
Every night, the "Kiss of the Sea" show takes place on a nearby platform, turning the area into a lively event. Lights shine, music plays and animated scenes appear on an outdoor stage.
When the main characters kissed during the show on April 18 like couples do on the bridge during the day, the crowd, young and old, cheered. A native Phu Quoc ridgeback dog appears in the animation, adding a playful touch.
By the end, fireworks fill the sky, and the bridge's quiet, romantic atmosphere turns into a lively, shared experience for families, tour groups and couples.
You can find a similar experience on the world's longest cable car, which links Sunset Town to Hon Thom island.
The trip to Hon Thom's amusement park and Aquatopia Water Park is an experience in itself.
The ride lasts just over 20 minutes, covering almost 8 kilometers and rising about 50 stories above the sea. Below, colorful wooden fishing boats dot the water as the cabins move toward the island, making the journey as memorable as the destination.
The cable car is also part of Sun Group's broader plan. With the QR code on your plane ticket, your ride is free.
Family vacations here have something for everyone, not just activities for children.
Golf is one of the island's top attractions, thanks to how close the resorts, beaches and courses are to each other. It's easy for groups to do their own thing — some can play a round of golf, while others unwind by the water.
Eschuri Vung Bau Golf Course, for example, is about an hour from Premier Village. Several holes there offer wide ocean views, with palm trees lining the fairways.
The clubhouse caters to older Korean travelers looking for a break from local cuisine, serving familiar dishes such as galbi, kimchi fried rice and miyeokguk, or seaweed soup.
The galbi in particular felt true to Korean style, paired with vegetables and delightfully spicy ssamjang paste.
As the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit approaches in 2027, construction is underway on a dedicated hotel zone — a cluster of 15 beachfront high-rises with about 6,500 rooms.
The project will feature global brands such as Conrad Hotels & Resorts and W Hotels, many making their debut in Vietnam. Lotte Group is also planning to open luxury properties as part of the development.
Though designed for diplomats and business travelers, the project is intended to serve the island long after the summit by increasing capacity and improving the quality of accommodations. With that longer-term purpose in mind, Sun Group, which is overseeing construction, said the hotels are being built to convey cultural meaning as well as practicality.
"The hotels along the bay will each reflect a different icon of the island," a Sun Group construction manager said. "Lotte Hotels, for instance, will adopt a pearl theme, with its exterior reflecting the gem's color, as pearls are a local specialty of Phu Quoc."
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