A marine ferry route linking Vietnam’s tourism island of Phu Quoc with Kep, one of Cambodia’s fastest developing tourist destinations, looks set to start next year but the timeframe has still to be confirmed.
Some facilities for the new transport service have already been spotted in Kep, which borders Vietnam’s Ha Tien District in Kien Giang Province.
A new port has been put in use in Kep, while a customs office built by the Cambodian Ministry of Economics and Finance is also in place now.
Phu Quoc island, deemed the Pearl Island of Vietnam,potential tourist place of Vietnam travel agencies, is off the southern province of Kien Giang. At present, hydrofoil and air services link Rach Gia City - Kien Giang’s hub - with Phu Quoc.
A group of Vietnamese tourism reporters traveled to Ha Tien last week and were invited to visit Ha Tien Vegas Resort as well as Kep, which is a 10 minute drive from the new resort. They were told that Kep’s hospitality sector was focusing on mid-range to high-end businesses.
Kep is 180 kilometers south of Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.