Vietnam's Phu Quoc island to transform into grand commercial hub ahead of 2027 APEC summit

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Vietnam's Phu Quoc island to transform into grand commercial hub ahead of 2027 APEC summit

Published: 29 Apr. 2026, 16:51

SEO JI-EUN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

An aerial construction footage of the new resort developments along the southern coast for the APEC 2027 Phu Quoc. [SUN GROUP]

PHU QUOC, Vietnam — A year ago, the southern coastline of Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island, held only open water.

By the autumn of 2027, the area will be ready to host one of the most consequential gatherings in its history: the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

A 3-kilometer (1.86-mile) boulevard lined with 10,000 coconut palms and flanked by 15 international hotels will lead toward a convention center housing the world's largest ballroom, a 4,030-seat theater where a Cirque du Soleil troupe will perform nightly and a 69-story tower visible from the sea.

World leaders will arrive at a new terminal and travel to the summit venue on Phu Quoc's first urban rail line.

Heavy machinery and cranes work alongside palm-fringed beaches in Phu Quoc on April 18. [SEO JI-EUN]

Currently, Vietnamese workers in helmets navigate the sprawling 58-hectare (143-acre) construction site on motorbikes — the fastest and most comfortable way to get around a worksite this size in temperatures that can reach 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).

This Korea JoongAng Daily reporter joined a Korean media group for a walk-through of Ruby Beach on April 18, two months after construction began on the reclaimed land.

The investor is Sun Group, a Vietnamese conglomerate active in multiple industries, including tourism, hospitality and infrastructure, and the company's goal is straightforward: set APEC 2027 as a fixed deadline to build infrastructure that will outlast the summit by decades, shifting Phu Quoc from a beach destination into a permanent meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) hub — with no direct regional competitor.

Vietnam has hosted APEC twice before: Hanoi in 2006 and Da Nang in 2017. Korea hosted the most recent summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, in 2025. Just days after this reporter completed the media tour, President Lee Jae Myung pledged full technical and diplomatic support for Vietnam's hosting during his state visit to Hanoi.

A panoramic rendering showcases the future of Bai Truong (Long Beach), featuring a dense skyline of world-class hotel brands including Marriott, Accor, Hilton and Lotte. [SUN GROUP]

Architecture as identity

The development site's “Hotel City” zone alone comprises 15 properties, including lodging belonging to global hotel brands such as the Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Korea's Lotte, all of which will house delegations during the APEC summit before transitioning into the commercial core of the island.

The design of every building has been inspired by its locale. The Lotte building, for instance, draws its palette, centered on an off-white that shifts shades in the coastal sunlight, from the island's pearl farms. The exterior of the island's Westin hotel, owned by Marriott, will be curved to resemble waves, and that of the Grand Hyatt hotel will reference the silhouette of the Phu Quoc Ridgeback, a rare and intelligent local dog breed.

Truong Hoang Hai, the design manager for the APEC 2027 project, points to a master plan for the APEC Convention and Exhibition Center during a walkthrough of the construction site in Phu Quoc on April 18. [SEO JI-EUN]

“Foreign guests will learn the identity of this place through the buildings themselves,” said Truong Hoang Hai, the design manager for the APEC 2027 project.

To support the Hotel City zone's long-term viability, Hanoi has granted a rare policy exception: The casino at the forthcoming W Hotel, also owned by Marriott, will be open to Vietnamese nationals, a privilege ordinarily reserved for those who can afford the entry fees or hold foreign passports.

At the center of the site, APEC Boulevard — 68 meters (223 feet) wide and nearly 3 kilometers long — will be lined with 10,000 newly planted coconut palms and connect the island's two coastlines.

Construction progressing at the APEC Convention and Exhibition Center for APEC 2027 Phu Quoc, as seen on April 18. [SEO JI-EUN]

A 69-story tower will mark one end, and the APEC Convention and Exhibition Center will stand on the other.

The center will span more than 157,000 square meters (1.69 million square feet) across four floors, excluding the basement, and have 30 meeting rooms.

A rendering of the APEC Convention and Exhibition Center for APEC 2027 Phu Quoc featuring a distinctive wave-like flowing roof design [SUN GROUP]

The building's highlight will be the 81-meter column-free ballroom — meaning that it is not supported by any pillars — that can seat 10,000, a figure that would make it the largest of its kind in the world.

The center will also house a 2,000-seat dining space developed under the creative direction of Dragone, the production company behind some of the world's most ambitious stage spectacles, including the “Le Rêve” production in Las Vegas.

A rendering of the APEC Theater, set to become a cultural anchor for the island's southern town [SUN GROUP]

After the summit

Sun Group plans to construct the APEC Theater — a circular structure with an area of 67,720 square meters, designed to represent the sky — beside the square convention center, which will represent the earth. The theater will seat 4,030 people, making it larger than the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where the Oscars have taken place over the past few decades.

Its exterior will be clad in dragon-scale motifs, inspired by Vietnamese mythology. For example, the roof will be supported by 50 columns, referencing the 50 sons of the ancient king Lac Long Quan.

Additionally, Cirque du Soleil has signed on for regular performances at the venue, bringing to Phu Quoc the same company that has performed for over 400 million people across 86 countries.

“Sun Group's core ambition is to introduce Vietnamese culture to the world,” design manager Hai said.

The existing “Kiss of the Sea” show — which already draws crowds nightly to the island's southern waterfront — runs on that same logic.

The Vietnamese government is also working to connect the isolated island to other regions.

A bird's-eye rendering of the Phu Quoc International Airport expansion shows a terminal design with multiple wings, prepared to handle the projected surge in global flight traffic. [SUN GROUP]

The Phu Quoc International Airport's building and list of routes will be expanded, thanks to a partnership with Singapore's Changi Airports International — a 22 trillion dong ($835 million) overhaul targeting 24 million passengers per year for APEC and 50 million for the long term.

The upcoming Terminal T2, which will be shaped to resemble the wings of a phoenix, has reached 87 percent structural completion.

Concept art for the island’s future transport network, including a light rail system cutting through the roundabouts [SUN GROUP]

A new 18-kilometer, 10-lane highway will connect the airport to the APEC site. A light rail line — the first on any island in Vietnam — will run alongside the highway.

The exterior of the airport is scheduled to be fully completed by October 2026, with the interior to be finished by January 2027.

The coconut palms have already been planted, and as the cranes run through the night, the vision of a MICE miracle on the southern tip of Vietnam is rapidly coming into focus.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]

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