Vietnam's largest island is having a monster year. Phú Quốc welcomed more than 8.57 million visitors in the first nine months of 2026 — up 30.5% on the same period last year — and pulled in roughly VNĐ45.976 trillion (about US$1.8 billion) in tourism revenue. That's a 47.7% jump and, remarkably, already 1% above the island's full-year target, with the final quarter still to run.

International arrivals are the standout story: 1.92 million foreign visitors, up 60.2% year on year. The island now generates nearly 80% of An Giang province's entire tourism revenue.

What's interesting is that revenue is growing faster than headcount. In other words, visitors aren't just arriving in bigger numbers — they're spending more per trip. Tourism analysts point to one reason in particular: Phú Quốc has got better at keeping people entertained after the beach day ends.

The southern part of the island is the case study. Mornings are for the record-breaking cable car over to Hòn Thơm Island, where there's swimming and a stack of leisure attractions. Late afternoon, crowds drift back to watch the sunset from Kiss Bridge. After dark, the area keeps going with on-the-water performances, fireworks, night-time dining and busy walking streets. A day trip that once would have wrapped up by evening now stretches into a full-day-plus itinerary — and every extra hour means more business for restaurants, transport operators, shops and shows.

Experts argue this is smart economics, not just good fun. Using the same sites for daytime and evening experiences squeezes more value out of infrastructure that's already built, rather than requiring constant new construction. It also lines up with Vietnam's national push — under Resolution 26-NQ/TW — to grow tourism through quality and added value rather than raw visitor numbers, with Phú Quốc earmarked as a future hub for high-end coastal and island resorts.

For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple: Phú Quốc now works as a destination with real depth, not just a fly-and-flop beach stop. You can fill a day from a morning cable car ride to a fireworks-lit evening without repeating yourself, which makes a 4-5 night stay genuinely easy to fill. And with international arrivals climbing fast, direct flight connections and hotel stock are only improving — though going in shoulder season might be wise before the crowds get even bigger.