Local authorities should pay attention to preserving the natural environment while they continue building a clean, beautiful city, Phuc said, so Phu Quoc Island can keep its nickname, Pearl Island. He made the statement in Phu Quoc while announcing the Prime Minister’s decision to recognise it as a second-tier city.

Viet Nam’s rating system classifies cities into tiers based on political, economic and demographic factors representing their current stage in development.

Recent improvements in tourism and transport infrastructure led to the island’s promotion. The local government has made strides in urban planning, consolidating more than 70 per cent of urban housing and constructing a 61-km transport network. It has begun operating an international airport and a seaport, and the district has been linked to the national power grid through an undersea cable line.

In the future, authorities envision the island district becoming an economic and political centre, and a hub for international travelers.

Located on the Viet Nam-Cambodia-Thailand marine economic corridor, Phu Quoc Island’s district covers more than 593sq.km, and has a population of more than 100,000. It comprises 27 islands. Phu Quoc is the largest.

Kien Giang is also working on getting Phu Quoc Island recognised as a provincially-run city in the time to come, which is another step toward turning the island district into a special economic-administrative zone.