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American visitor Tina Compon said: “Our hotel had no electricity or water for eight hours a day. We have to climb 100 steps up to the room, which at certain times is unlit.”

Compon said he has been informed that the problem is likely to continue for the next three weeks. He expressed disappointment that the hotel has failed to maintain its generators well. “It is their responsibility.”

He said some of his travel plans had been delayed due to the outages and he has moved to the Sunset Town area on the southern tip of the island, where conditions are better.

Since Nov. 29 some parts in the north have been without power after the 110 kV Ha Tien – Phu Quoc submarine cable was damaged when a contractor building a coastal road unknowingly drove piles into it.

On Dec. 1 the Southern Power Corporation said it would need at least one month to repair the submarine cable if there is favorable weather.

Tourism operators on the island are facing big financial losses during what is the peak season for international visitors.

On Tuesday Le Hong Son, owner of the Golden Coast Resort in Ganh Dau, bought 1,000 liters of fuel for his generator.

The daily fuel cost for operating the large generator is VND20 million (US$758), a figure that can rise dramatically if the outages continue.

Son said this is the “golden season” for Phu Quoc tourism as international visitors flock to the island to escape winter, particularly from Europe and the U.S.

Occupancy is at its peak, but the power outage has forced 40% of guests booked for the week to cancel or relocate to the island’s southern area or to other destinations.

The resort is providing electricity for around 10 hours a day and the daily outage schedule so that visitors can plan their activities.

“We can manage the fuel costs, but tour cancellations and negative reviews about the guest experience cause long-term damage to the local tourism brand,” Son lamented.

Le Thi Hai Chau, manager of a chain of five-star resorts on the island’s north side, said a 300-room facility typically spends around VND1.5 billion a month on electricity, but double or even triple that when switching to diesel generators.

“We are struggling every hour to minimize the impact on tourists’ holidays. If this situation continues through Christmas and New Year, the consequences will be unpredictable.”

The submarine power cable that was severed is one of two undersea cables supplying electricity to the island along with the 220 kV Kien Binh – Phu Quoc line.

This incident was determined to be quite complicated, making access and repair difficult.

The An Giang Power Company said it has mobilized human resources and specialized equipment to fix the problem, and is implementing a load regulation plan that prioritizes power supply to central areas and important infrastructure, and a return to normalcy would take time.

Many businesses want Phu Quoc and the electricity industry to compensate or provide support to those financially affected.