Need to improve safety procedures for waterway tourism

(Chinhphu.vn) - The capsizing of the tourist boat Blue Bay 58, which caused particularly serious consequences, is very painful and regrettable; thereby also raising the issue of the need to respond more effectively to natural disasters and incidents caused by natural disasters, to avoid the recent unwanted incidents.

It is necessary to complete safety procedures for waterway tourism . Photo: VGP/DA

The Green Bay 58 ship carrying 46 passengers and 3 crew members left Bai Chay port, Quang Ninh province at 12:55 on July 19. At 13:30, near Dau Go cave, it encountered a strong storm that caused the ship to capsize, and all people on board fell into the sea. At 14:05, the ship lost GPS connection.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the storm that swept strongly from the North to the Central region on the afternoon of July 19 was due to the influence of a low pressure trough with an axis passing through the North, not due to the influence of storm No. 3. This is a rare super thunderstorm cloud in meteorology, very difficult to forecast. The Quang Ninh Province Hydro-Meteorological Station has issued a storm warning, and the ship Vinh Xanh 58 has left port for more than 30 minutes.

The capsized tourist boat Blue Bay 58, which caused particularly serious consequences, is very painful and regrettable; thereby also raising the issue of the need to respond more effectively to natural disasters and incidents caused by natural disasters, so as to avoid the recent unwanted incidents.

Safety from the moment you arrive

Chief of Office of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Cao Le Tuan Anh said that the capsized tourist ship Bay Xanh 58 is a rare, unavoidable and unwanted natural disaster.

"We feel the common pain of our compatriots, the common pain of the victims and their families, but we also need to have objective assessments so as not to affect the overall development of the tourism industry," said Mr. Cao Le Tuan Anh.

Mr. Cao Le Tuan Anh also said that in the world, cruise tourism is a very popular and safe form of tourism. Storms at sea are very difficult to predict and forecast. The capsize of the Bay Xanh 58 was an unfortunate event. However, it is necessary to clearly recognize that this is not a subjective factor but an objective factor. Therefore, we need to respond in a way that does not affect the tourism industry.

Regarding this incident, Mr. Cao Le Tuan Anh also noted that we should not be subjective or negligent; the capsized ship Vinh Xanh 58 is a warning for authorities, those working in the tourism sector, ship owners, and crew members to complete safety procedures. In particular, it is necessary to issue safety procedures right from the moment of getting off the ship. To do this, the coordination of many related units is required.

Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Pham Van Thuy said that in this case, it is necessary to warn and recommend that tourism businesses regularly ensure the safety of tourists. As for natural disasters and enemy attacks, it is necessary to proactively prevent and respond promptly. "Proactive on-site, command, means, and logistics on-site" is part of the "four on-site" motto in natural disaster prevention, which means being ready and responding immediately on-site when a situation occurs in all localities.

Mr. Pham Van Thuy said that as soon as the incident occurred, Quang Ninh province immediately took action. On the same day, July 19, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism promptly issued Official Dispatch No. 3550/CD-BVHTTDL directing the focus on drastic response and coordination with Quang Ninh province to overcome the consequences of the capsized ship Vinh Xanh 58. The National Tourism Administration held an urgent online meeting with relevant units, assigning officers in charge of each focal point to directly go to the scene to coordinate the handling.

"The industry regularly carries out warnings and recommendations on tourism safety. This work is not only applied to specific tourism activities, but is a regular requirement for the entire industry. These contents are integrated into training and guidance programs at tourism facilities and schools," said Mr. Pham Van Thuy.

Not only focusing on the North, the tourism industry has also issued recommendations to cope with the complex weather situation in the South. 12 localities have also proactively issued documents with specific instructions to the grassroots level.

Need a revolution in vehicle inspection, management and rescue in the 4.0 era

However, the capsized cruise ship Blue Bay 58 also raises the issue of the need to respond more effectively to natural disasters and incidents caused by natural disasters. According to Dr. Pham Ha - Chairman of LuxGroup, owner of large ships and yachts operating in Ha Long and Nha Trang According to Dr. Pham Ha, this ship capsize is a strong warning that a revolution in inspection, management, and rescue in the 4.0 era is needed. "That means we need to digitize and monitor in real time. Rescue in the 4.0 era is: Fast, accurate, saving people is paramount," emphasized Dr. Pham Ha.

Dr. Pham Ha believes that all ships need to be monitored via GPS, AIS directly connected to the Control Center like an airport. Dr. Pham Ha suggests that on the big screen, each ship appears as a green dot. When the signal is lost, the green dot disappears, the system automatically alarms. The staff immediately contacts the captain, if not, activates the emergency procedure. The rescue team will deploy a speedboat within 5 minutes, carrying full equipment such as life rafts, diving suits, medical equipment, cranes, and even helicopters ready to take off.

According to Dr. Pham Ha, 4.0 technology is not just about management – it is about protecting the lives of tourists. For international tourist destinations, a modern rescue system is a must, there can be no delay. A minute can be life or death.

Another issue that Dr. Pham Ha noted is that the copper-hulled ship, with a flat bottom design, using light materials that easily sink, and an upside-down design - if continued to be put into operation, will pose many potential risks of accidents. Because this type of ship has a very shallow bottom, the hull is light and easily heated under the harsh sunlight. When anchored for a long time high on the deck for lunch, if it encounters heavy rain with strong winds, the ship can easily capsize. This design is only suitable for small rescue ships, warm waters, calm seas, little wind, and is completely unsuitable for complex conditions such as the Gulf of Tonkin. Currently, there are many ships built in the same style as the Vinh Xanh 58 ship, with a pointed bow for easy docking. However, with increasingly erratic weather conditions due to climate change, it is necessary to boldly eliminate outdated and unsuitable ship models to avoid further heartbreaking accidents.

Chief of Office of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Cao Le Tuan Anh said that Vietnam welcomes millions of tourists every year, including Quang Ninh, and with the goal of welcoming about 25 million international tourists, we need to act so that this unexpected incident does not affect the entire tourism industry.

There are still many efforts of those working in tourism every day, every hour; there are still millions of ships, millions of hours of safe sailing. We need to share with the victims and their families, support the tourism industry, support tourism businesses that have almost collapsed after the COVID-19 pandemic to complete the big goals set.

According to Government Newspaper

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/can-hoan-chinh-lai-quy-trinh-an-toan-cho-du-lich-duong-thuy-20250728084202357.htm