The 6-star luxury cruise ship, The World, run by a US-based firm took 180 tourists to Phu Quoc Island, southern Kien Giang province on December 2.
The passengers hailing from all over the world had explored Ha Long Bay, in northern Quang Ninh province, Hue imperial city, Vung Tau city, Ho Chi Minh City before landing in Phu Quoc Island, which is known widely as the Pearl Island.
During their one-day stay on the island, they toured popular landscapes, pepper orchards, fish sauce factories, and Phu Quoc Prison where Vietnamese communists were jailed during the war time.
The luxury cruise ship with 12 floors offering all kinds of facilities for entertainment, sports and shopping can accommodate up to 270 guests plus crewmembers.
Beaches, seas and islands, cultural heritage, and eco-tourism have been specified as priorities in a recent tourism marketing strategy until 2020, drawn up by the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism.
The top-priority markets are Japan, the Republic of Korea and mainland China, as well as Taipei (China), Russia and Southeast Asia, besides Australia and New Zealand. India and the Middle East are promising markets.
Viet Nam has so far this year welcomed over 7.2 million international arrivals.
In 2015, Viet Nam targets to welcome 8.5-9 million foreign arrivals and 41.5 million domestic holiday makers, raking 290 trillion VND (13.6 billion USD).