Phu Quoc most searched for on Google by Vietnamese travelers

Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang topped a list of 10 most searched destinations by Vietnamese travelers for the year-end holiday, Google said.

The central beach city Da Nang came in second, followed by southern economic hub Ho Chi Minh City that were based on the frequency of searches on its online flight booking service called Google Flights from mid-December 2023 to mid-January 2024.

Vietnam's capital Hanoi ranked sixth on the list while the rest was dominated by foreign destinations.

Thailand's Bangkok were fourth and Japan's Tokyo came in fifth.

Sydney (Australia) was seventh, followed by Singapore, Siem Reap (Cambodia) and New York (the U.S.).

Between December and March is always the most ideal time of the year to touch down on Phu Quoc that is famous for its long, sandy beaches and high-end beachside resorts.

The island is also home to a marine sanctuary and a national park popular with trekkers.

Return air tickets from HCMC to Phu Quoc in December cost nearly VND2.3 million (US$94.36) per person while those flying from Hanoi have to pay VND4 million for a return trip.

This month, Phu Quoc Island ranked third in The Travel magazine's list of 17 most budget-friendly tourist islands worldwide while the island was honored by American travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler as one of the best to visit this year.

Google's report also pointed out Vietnamese tourists have showed great interest in Asia-Pacific destinations such as Thailand, Japan, Singapore and Australia.

Vietnamese carriers recently increased the launch of new direct routes to Asian destinations and Australia.

In the first nine months of this year, the number of Vietnamese tourists traveling abroad reached over 3.8 million, up 2.5 times year-on-year.