Developing tourism types in Phu Quoc island district, Kien Giang province in a sustainable direction

Project " Phu Quoc Island District Planning 2010 - 2020" , Phu Quoc will allocate a lot of land for construction to serve tourism development. In which, focusing on exploiting and putting into use unused land area (11.9%) to limit agricultural land source converted to specialized land. According to Decision 1197/2005/QD-TTg, Phu Quoc will be planned for 4 golf courses with a total area of 920 hectares in 4 areas: Cua Can (150 hectares), Ganh Dau (150 hectares), An Thoi (220 hectares), Bai Vong (400 hectares). The golf courses are planned to be located in high-quality tourist areas of Phu Quoc.

 Forest resources: Phu Quoc forests are quite rich with an area of over 38,100 km2 , accounting for 64.15% of the island's natural area.

Table 2.3 Statistics table of forest resources of Phu Quoc district in 2009

Target

Current Status

Reserves (m 3 )

Area (ha)

Rate (%)

Forested land area Natural forest Broadleaf forest

Rich forest Medium forest Poor forest

Large diameter restored saplings Small diameter restored saplings

Melaleuca forest Mangrove forest

Planted forest

38,536

37,233

33,471

381

2,236

7,537

11,227

12,090

3,678

1,303

100

96.6

89.8

1.0

6.0

20.2

30.1

32.4

9.8

0.2

3.38

1,422,076

1425705

57,396

136,312

248,721

295,316

687,360

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Source: Statistical data of Phu Quoc district statistical office in 2010

Of which, natural forest area accounts for 96.6%, planted forest accounts for 3.38%. Forest is like a green lung in the middle of the sea, providing a source of life for island residents because of its green color and

The pristine island. Phu Quoc forest is the intersection of three flora systems: the Malaysian flora system, the hot and dry Burmese flora system and the Himalaya flora system, so the forest is very rich in flora and fauna. The highest forest coverage is concentrated in the North Island with an area of 14,400 hectares (including Ham Ninh range, Bai Dai mountain range). Currently, the forest has many rare and precious woods such as Kien Kien, Chai, Sang Le, Dau Long... There are about 400 species of animals, birds, reptiles, frogs. Large animals on the island are few, only deer, civets, golden monkeys, white-handed gibbons, yellow-footed squirrels, red crocodiles, freshwater crocodiles... in which white-handed gibbons and freshwater crocodiles are classified by the state as rare animals that need to be protected but are in danger of extinction.

Phu Quoc forest has a vital meaning in water conservation for the island and tourist landscape rather than its pure value. To some extent, Phu Quoc National Park is considered a genetic museum, which is meaningful in establishing conservation areas, eco-tourism areas to serve the purpose of study, research and also for combined eco-tourism activities.

 Marine biological resources : Phu Quoc sea is located in the Gulf of Thailand, a rich fishing ground in both reserves and species. According to preliminary assessments, there are about 0.5 million tons of various types of seafood, with the ability to exploit over 200,000 tons annually, including anchovies (a valuable source of raw materials for the famous quality of Phu Quoc fish sauce), herring (to create a special culinary dish called fish salad), lobsters, sea turtles, fish, seagrass, precious seafood such as dugongs, corals... In addition, with 150km of coastline, Phu Quoc inherits long, clean and beautiful white sand beaches, creating a natural, ideal tourist landscape, suitable for exploiting sightseeing tourism, swimming, sea sports, diving, viewing corals, viewing marine flora and fauna... all of these potentials create attraction for tourists.

In addition, corals and seagrasses are valuable resources that contribute to diversifying tourism types and tourism products of Phu Quoc island district. Corals are distributed in places such as Ganh Dau area and 8 small islands in the south of An Thoi with a total area of 2,500 hectares and 12,000 hectares of seagrasses in the Northeast of the island. Currently, Phu Quoc has marine conservation areas such as: An Thoi coral conservation area, seagrass conservation areas in the East and Northeast, mainly coastal areas in Ham Ninh. The quality of coral and seagrasses in Phu Quoc is almost intact, not much affected by humans, so this is the place to attract tourists to visit, research and explore. Currently,

Phu Quoc also has projects 10 such as " Coral Reef and Seagrass Demonstration Site in Phu Quoc " of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), or the seagrass planting program in Ham Ninh of the Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography... promising to open up unique types of tourism.

2.2.3 Human resources

 Population and labor : In 2010, 8* Phu Quoc district's population accounted for 5.46% of the province's population (Table 2.4). The population structure is young, the proportion of working-age population accounts for 58% (the whole province is 55.3%), the average natural increase is 1.3%. It is forecasted that Phu Quoc will have 1,500 more workers each year, this is both a potential and a challenge for employment and social issues that the locality needs to solve.

Regarding the residential area : The urban population accounts for 51%; rural: 49%. Of which, Kinh people (97%), Chinese people (2.1%), the rest are Khmer people (0.8%). The mechanical growth rate on the whole island is high (3.1%/year). The reason is due to the source of migration from the mainland to the island to find work. This is also a source of additional human resources for Phu Quoc district but also a difficulty in solving employment, housing and other social welfare issues.

Table 2.4. Population of Phu Quoc district and Kien Giang province in the period 2006 - 2010

Year

Kien Giang	Phu Quoc
Total population (people)	Total population (people)	%
2006	1,640,834	85,740	5.23
2007	1,659,113	87,712	5.28
2008	1,676,467	89,605	5.34
2009	1,692,058	91,447	5.41
2010	1,707,050	93,276	5.46

10 Department of Agriculture of Kien Giang province

8* Kien Giang Province Statistical Yearbook 2010

Source: Statistical Yearbook, Kien Giang Provincial Statistics Office 2010

Regarding the labor structure in economic sectors: The total number of workers in the national economic sectors increased: from 29,916 workers (2000) to 40,493 workers (2010), 1.3 times higher than in 2005. If calculated within the past 10 years (2000 - 2010), the number of workers in the industrial sector increased by 10,847 workers, the number of workers in the agricultural sector decreased by 300 workers, and the number of workers in the trade and service sector increased by 9,558 workers. In 2010, the proportion of labor in the trade and service sector accounted for 71.41% (of which the province accounted for 14.4% and the country accounted for 25.3%). This shows that labor is shifting due to the impact of industrialization and urbanization. Therefore, Phu Quoc must have a policy of vocational training and job creation to meet labor needs in the new period.

Table 2.5 Labor force working in national economic sectors in Phu Quoc district in the period 2000 - 2010

Labor structure

Year

Agriculture, forestry and fishery		Industry and construction		Trade and services		Total number of employees (People)
Total (people)	%	Total (people)	%	Total (people)	%	Total number of employees (People)
2000	7,017	23.45	3,268	10.09	19,631	65.65	29,916
2002	7,212	23.10	3.359	10.76	20,647	66.13	31,218
2004	6,965	18.97	4.01	12.39	22,134	66.72	33,170
2006	6.912	20.03	4,236	12.44	22,890	67.24	34,038
2008	6,711	18.35	4,448	12.16	25,408	69.48	36,567
2010	6,617	16.33	4,957	12.24	28,919	71.41	40,493

Source: Compiled data, Phu Quoc District Statistics Office, 2011

Regarding labor quality : Labor in trade and service activities has increased (Table 2.5). However, labor quality in the tourism industry is not high, the number of trained laborers only accounted for 23.5% (in 2005) and by 2010 it had only increased to 27.5%. Over 80% of laborers in the tourism industry cannot communicate in English, as well as other foreign languages (at a simple level). Illiterate laborers in the tourism industry have decreased but still account for 6.82% of laborers, mainly doing jobs such as: janitors, cleaners, gardeners... The low quality of labor has limited tourism development, so relevant levels and sectors need to come up with timely solutions.

Table 2.6 Labor quality in the tourism industry in 2005 compared to 2010

Quality Year

Total labor (people)	Have university and college degree (people)	Intermediate level (person)	Untrained (person)
2005	2,678	42	587	2,049
2010	5,217	100	1,330	3,787

Source: Compiled data, Phu Quoc Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs in 2011

Table 2.7: Number of illiterate workers in the tourism industry of Phu Quoc island district

Year

Total number of employees	Number of illiterate workers
Total (people)	Total (people)	%
2005	2,678	532	19.86
2010	5,217	356	6.82

Source: Compiled data, Phu Quoc Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs in 2011

 Indigenous culture: In the past, our ancestors came to Phu Quoc perhaps not for tourism purposes but for one reason or another in their livelihood or due to great historical upheavals. However, until now, people still do not have enough documents to confirm with certainty which ethnic group those ancient indigenous people belonged to? Where did they come from? What was their culture like?. The indigenous culture of Phu Quoc is located in about three

hundred years since the first settlements appeared on this island. Many researchers believe that in the 16th - 17th centuries, a group of residents from the North, Central and a group of Chinese people came to Phu Quoc to settle down and make a living. Currently, through surveys, on Phu Quoc island there are two main ethnic groups, the Vietnamese and the Chinese, with very few Khmer people. The majority of the Vietnamese people are from the Central region, the Chinese people are mainly Hainanese. However, it was not until the beginning of the 18th century (1708), when Mac Cuu established Ha Tien town, voluntarily annexed into the territory of Lord Nguyen (Dang Trong), that Phu Quoc truly completed the Vietnamese community, but it has its own unique mark. Due to the above characteristics, Phu Quoc culture, first of all folk culture, is an integrated cultural stream from many different places, both domestically and internationally, forming an indigenous cultural stream including both tangible and intangible. That is the spiritual value, belonging to the spiritual life, the mental life of the working people.

Nowadays, Phu Quoc is being invested in by the Party and the State to develop its socio-economy, and to issue preferential policies to turn this place into a major center for eco-tourism and high-quality resort tourism. Therefore, more than ever, the indigenous culture needs to be cared for and paid attention to. This is not only to attract and retain visitors but also to develop Phu Quoc but still Phu Quoc, Phu Quoc cannot be a copy of any other place. Tourists come to Phu Quoc to enjoy and enjoy nature as well as to enjoy the spiritual values that this place brings. Spiritual values are realized through cultural expressions such as: customs, products, beliefs to art, religion to spirituality and historical relics. In short, from the cultural aspect, Phu Quoc tourism has many advantages, the biggest advantage is the uniqueness that Phu Quoc people have to go through a long process of building and protecting to have.

 Community culture: As a part of Vietnamese culture, Phu Quoc culture also has the characteristics of an agricultural culture. However, due to its natural geography and population characteristics, Phu Quoc culture has its own unique features: open communication, but strict behavior. The indigenous Phu Quoc people are more emotional than rational, value actions more than words, have a straightforward, open and steadfast temperament, are strict in community relations but not closed in communication.

The communal spirit of the indigenous Phu Quoc residents is not only expressed in the organization of meals (sharing a pot of rice, a bowl of soup, a bowl of dipping sauce, drinking a glass of wine together...) but also in

Village design. In the past, Phu Quoc had a large land area and a sparse population, but many coastal villages consisted of stilt houses located next to each other, even next to each other. The tight community spirit makes Phu Quoc people simple, honest, and imbued with affection. This feature makes visitors coming here unable to help but think and linger when living in that space.

Phu Quoc folk culture is almost complete in every genre, from legends to folk songs, chants, and rhymes... These are folk compositions associated with the working and living life of islanders through the ups and downs of history. Many thrilling stories, many captivating melodies from ancient times contribute to creating the soul of Phu Quoc. This is the unique feature of Phu Quoc to attract tourists.

 Legendary series about Nguyen Trung Truc : Kien Giang residents in general, Phu Quoc residents in particular worship Nguyen Trung Truc (often called him Mr. Nguyen or Mr. Nguyen), a national hero against the French. In Ganh Dau commune (Phu Quoc), there is a quite solemn temple to worship Mr. Nguyen, people in the province and neighboring provinces gather at the temple to commemorate him. But the legend about Nguyen Trung Truc has a very clear religious color, or the legend of Ba Lon Tuong - Le Kim Dinh, the legend of the child and the bunch of golden bananas, the legend of Mr. Nguyen falling into the hands of the enemy and his soul after being executed by the enemy... In Kien Giang, many families in addition to the ancestral altar also have an altar to Mr. Nguyen, they still believe that Mr. Nguyen is sacred and can bless them in their lives.

 Religious legends: On Phu Quoc island, there are many legends about monks who are quite interesting. There are completely fictional legends (such as the story of monk Van Du leaving a poem on a cliff on a small hill in An Thoi, namely the story of Da Chu), there are legends that are both real and unreal (the legend of Mr. Dai Dung in Ham Ninh). The most notable is the legend of Ngo Minh Chieu (1878 - 1932), who is known as the eldest brother of Cao Dai religion. Since then, Quan Am Pagoda (also known as Cao Pagoda) has become the place where Cao Dai religion was founded. Although Cao Pagoda today is not spacious, it contains a legend about a religion that represents the integration in Vietnamese culture.

 Regarding folk songs : Because Phu Quoc people are gathered from many sources and come from many places, the folk song treasure here is very diverse in tone but not mixed. In addition to the sound and performance form with strong imprints of Southern folk songs (vong co, cai luong, dua ho, dua ly...), Phu Quoc folk songs are greatly influenced by Central folk songs. There are many opinions that,

The islanders perform tuong, bai choi singing, ho khoan, ho mai nhi mai day, vi singing, and giam singing very well, not inferior to the people of the Central region. In short, folk songs and other forms of folk performances on Phu Quoc are very abundant. If the Phu Quoc tourism industry preserves and exploits them effectively, this is a strength in intangible cultural tourism resources that will certainly attract many tourists, especially high-quality tourists, because they come here not only to eat and play, but they want to find a new land with beautiful landscapes, rare products and a unique culture.

 Historical relics : Along with Con Dao, Phu Quoc is one of the places that the French colonialists and American imperialists chose as a place to imprison revolutionary soldiers and patriots. Every inch of land and blade of grass on the island is associated with historical relics of the heroic struggle of our people.

Table 2.8 Statistical table of historical and cultural relics of Phu Quoc island district in 2009

Total number of monuments

National level	Provincial level	Number of relics put into exploitation by tour	Spontaneous points
24	1	2	4	17

Source : Phu Quoc District Statistics Office 2010

Notable among them are the historical relics of Cay Dua Prison (Phu Quoc Prison), Than Nguyen Trung Truc Communal House, Sung Hung Co Tu Communal House, Than Duong Dong Communal House, Dinh Cau relic... each relic is associated with a historical event, a source of pride for the islanders. However, currently, the number of relics introduced in tours is not much (4/24 relics). Phu Quoc needs to exploit many types of tourism to effectively exploit these tourist attractions.

 The Statue Area and Cay Dua Prison: Every visitor to Phu Quoc knows that the Statue Area and Cay Dua Prison are two places that welcome visitors to learn about the great resistance of the nation and the islanders. Currently, this is the only relic on Phu Quoc Island that is recognized as a national relic. However, due to the unreasonable conservation and restoration work, it has not brought the desired values.

 Nguyen Trung Truc Temple: Any tourist joining the tour to explore the North Island primeval forest will visit and burn incense at the temple to worship the hero.

Developing tourism types in Phu Quoc island district, Kien Giang province in a sustainable direction - 6

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