Authorities in Vietnam’s Phu Quoc, an island holiday hot spot off the country’s south coast, have announced they intend to “relocate homeless individuals, beggars, the elderly, mentally ill and disabled people, and others living on the streets,” on major holidays, Tuoi Tre is reporting. This is “…to preserve the tourism image for both domestic and international visitors.”
Of note, in another article on the matter published by Tuoi Tre a local reporter appears to have spoken with several impacted persons that discusses what has led them to need to look for financial support from tourists. One reading of said article is that it is not by choice and that relocating impacted persons may be far more complicated than it first appears.
That said, whereas Phu Quoc may have once been a pristine island holiday destination, over development has wrought havoc on the island’s natural beauty. In this contexts, that the prevalence of individuals experiencing homelessness has been raised as a core issue may serve to reflect key differences in expectations between Vietnamese and foreign tourists.
See also: Tourism Industry in Vietnam