27/01/2017
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! A look back and forward for the New Year (Tet) 2017 and beyond!
As you are all aware, we are a free, open & neutral resource that talks about literally every aspect of Phu Quoc Island. On the island you will find guidebooks, maps, pamphlets, etc that are also free, but they are "Pay-for-Play", meaning if you are a business on Phu Quoc and spend X amount of money, you will get more visibility/"Real Estate" in their "free" guidebooks. It is a standard business model used at many holiday destinations, not just Phu Quoc, but the key difference on Phu Quoc is that the islands tourism board has not taken upon itself to release it's own *official* guidebook (see: http://phuquoc.gov.vn/) and this gap has been naturally been filled by for-profit businesses.
We don't like this business model because a) The "Pay-for-Play" ad-scheme hurts great local "mom & pop businesses" who do not have a marketing budget or a voice, and b) visitors, like some of you, who are looking for that "authentic exotic travel experience", like Anthony Bourdain, miss out on these great local businesses.
OUR e-SOLUTION: Level the playing field across the islands business landscape by utilizing technology and try to LIST EVERYONE - both big and small business, expat and local, rich and poor... kind of like what Google did with its search engine, and Yelp with food. Our intent is to provide YOU the unbiased information you need, on the channel you access the most (mobile/web/facebook) so that YOU can make the right decision for your enjoyment of the island. *YOU* call the shots! If you do not like an experience, you can write a review on TripAdvisor/Facebook, and believe you me.... these businesses will act as these review sites are the lifeline for the tourist industry! (FYI: We are NOT a business operating on Phu Quoc)
RESULTS: Well... not to brag or anything, but we are the *number 1* resource on all things "Phu Quoc" across web/mobile/Facebook/e-universe, but this all thanks to YOU. You, the visitor, appreciates what we've done to help make your experience on the island a memorable one, and the internet gods have rewarded us for it. It wasn't easy, it took a lot of time, effort, and hard voluntary work, and we *ruffled a few feathers* along the way, something that was bound to happen when you disrupt the status quo, but the end product was worth it!
But here is the kicker.... we did all of this in less than 2 years without leaving a huge carbon footprint, unlike those paper guides you see on the island (FYI: the island has *no recycling center*, and all garbage is *burned*). What we find ridiculous is that these organizations talk about the environmental issues on the island without looking at their own business practices! The government has taken notice of our digital success and the consumer adoption of technology and has decided to make Phu Quoc an island powered by cutting edge technology by 2020!
WHAT'S NEXT: Looking past Tet 2017, we will continue to enhance our rich media content with the changes happening on the island and we will also focus on creating more free technology products, e.g. apps/AR/etc. We are also working on opening a new CO-LOCATION space on the island where digital & location independent entrepreneurs can work, connect, and build awesome technology products right here on the island. Finally, we want to start a non-profit where incoming tourists can connect with disadvantage youth and teach them something - like basic English, French or Russian, or just simply "hang out". We recently saw a video of local kids scavenging in one of the islands garbage dumps for clothes, and it broke our hearts and made us think about how we can leverage Social Tourism for the benefit of everyone!
YOUR TOURISM DOLLAR AT WORK: As we enter the New Year, all of us here at PhuQuocIslandGuide.com want to thank all those who have visited Phu Quoc Island. By doing so you have indirectly helped inject much needed capital into the local economy. New schools and roads have been built, thousands of new jobs have been created, and environmental atrocities have been exposed and brought into the limelight. You didn't have to chose Phu Quoc to spend your holidays, but you did and we thank you. As for the businesses we disrupted, we mean you no harm. Without competition there is no innovation. You can choose to help us deliver an awesome experience to visitors or you can continue to be bitter about the sweeping changes and the digital movement we've brought forth to the island.
Peace and love to all, we wish all of you the best in this New Year - A special shout to all of our sponsors, partners, team members, local businesses, those of who contributed photos videos and articles, and of course YOU our audience who share our values - 7K organic Likes, 25K twitter followers, and a whole lot of email signups... you guys are awesome!
******** Chúc Mừng Năm Mới ********
-----
*PS: if you like what we do and want to support us, buy our Premium Snorkeling e-Guide :) We don't just "write" about snorkeling without engaging in the activity, we do it... document it, take pics, videos, post on social.... we own it and share the experience! Phu Quoc is the best beach snorkeling destination in Vietnam! http://www.phuquocislandguide.com/snorkeling-phu-quoc/
