New force" of global tourism
In 2024, singer Taylor Swift's exclusive concert series in Asia helped Singapore earn 400 million USD in just over a week from the Swiftonomics effect. That is also part of a new strategy called "concert economics" the driving force contributing up to 10% of GDP. Similarly, Thailand also joined the game with a 5-year contract with the EDM Tomorrowland super festival, expected to bring in 176 million USD in the first year (December 2026).
After the APEC Summit 2025, the "economic effect" brought the cultural - tourism - technology city of Gyeongju (Korea) up to 5.2 billion USD.
It can be seen that MICE tourism and event tourism are reshaping the global tourism map. The world MICE market is expected to reach a value of 2.057 billion USD by 2033, of which the Asia-Pacific region accounts for about 23% of revenue. The "Gig-tripping" trend - tourism combined with watching art performances has also been born, creating a new demand structure for the industry. According to statistics, 85% of luxury tourists said they plan trips around special events; this number is up to 95% in the Gen Z and Millennials group. This group of customers not only buy concert tickets but also spend on the entire accompanying service ecosystem, from accommodation, airlines to retail, creating a strong spillover effect.
Bordering" world events and festival maps
The formula for success of top event destinations is the synergy of many factors: visa policy, transport infrastructure, cultural experience, safety and healthcare system. Phu Quoc is gradually converging all these conditions thanks to a long-term development strategy lasting nearly two decades.
In Vietnam, along with well-invested tourism and resort infrastructure, Phu Quoc has gradually made its mark on the regional event map. Pearl Island is continuously chosen by large corporations to organize conferences, is a place for billionaires to hold lavish weddings, and has also welcomed international stars such as Maroon 5 or Hardwell... to tour.
On that basis, Phu Quoc's conference and event infrastructure is being strongly upgraded in preparation for APEC 2027, which is expected to "redraw" the map of this billion-dollar economy in Asia. Phu Quoc International Airport is upgraded to a capacity of 24 million passengers/year and is oriented to reach 50 million in the long term. The airport is capable of receiving wide-body aircraft such as Boeing 787, Airbus A350... serving high-level diplomatic delegations and large numbers of passengers from super events.
The route network is also continuously expanding with many direct routes to key markets. It is noteworthy that the appearance of Sun Phu Quoc Airways - an airline that takes Phu Quoc as its "home ground" with direct or charter routes "tailored" specifically to major cities. Routes operated with high frequency from Korea, Taiwan (China), Hong Kong (China), Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand or India, Europe... will be effective MICE and gig-tripping "buds", making Phu Quoc a formidable opponent on the world event map.
At the same time, in the South Island, a large-scale conference - event - cultural ecosystem is being formed to serve APEC 2027. The Conference - Exhibition Center with a total investment of 21,860 billion VND, floor area of 157,375 m2 (equivalent to nearly 22 times My Dinh Stadium) will own a ballroom of 11,050 m2, aiming to become the largest uncolumned ballroom in the world, creating a new symbol for Vietnam's MICE industry.
Next is a versatile performer inspired by dragon scales and the legend of Con Rong chau Tien, with a capacity of 4,030 seats, a scale exceeding Dolby Theatre and belonging to the largest group in Asia. The 30m wide stage and international standard sound and lighting system are enough to organize concerts of world-leading artists as well as large-scale film festivals. In parallel, Sun Group has cooperated with Cirque du Soleil and "stage wizard" Franco Dragone to develop high-class shows, aiming to establish new standards for the regional performing industry.
Regarding accommodation, Phu Quoc has gathered a series of global hotel "giants" such as Marriott, Accor, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, Meliá or Rosewood... creating hundreds of high-class resorts stretching across the island. In the first 2 months of the year, Pearl Island has now surpassed Phuket and Bali in terms of accommodation capacity. To welcome APEC 2027, the South Island will be supplemented with about 6,500 high-class rooms, when the "hotel city" at Bai Dat Do will gather 13 international brands, ensuring the capacity to welcome large-scale events taking place continuously.
Overall, what is happening in Phu Quoc is not only expanding infrastructure, but also developing two levels of capacity in parallel: attracting tourists with strong infrastructure and retaining them, increasing spending with a diverse experience ecosystem.
In the near future, when direct flights continue to expand and infrastructure meets international standards, along with Bangkok, Singapore, Phu Quoc can completely squeeze into the world tour schedule of famous artists such as Coldplay, BTS or Bruno Mars. Or important political events can also be hosted here.
That is also when Pearl Island truly enters a new chapter: both a resort paradise and a new "event capital" of the post-APEC 2027 world.
