Proposal to add new tourist itinerary on Ha Long Bay

Based on the practical situation in managing and exploiting tourist routes and itineraries in Ha Long Bay, the Ha Long Bay Management Board plans to propose the development of new tourist itineraries to meet the increasing demands of tourists and to effectively and sustainably exploit the value of the World Heritage Site and Natural Wonder of Ha Long Bay.

Tourists paddle kayaks to explore the beautiful scenery of Ha Long Bay.

In recent times, Quang Ninh's tourism industry has experienced a strong recovery. Along with the renewed attraction of tourists to Ha Long Bay via the five existing itineraries, many businesses have continued to invest in new products such as luxury cruises and restaurant ships operating in the Bay and coastal areas; organizing numerous events and unique art performances combined with nighttime sightseeing and culinary experiences… This has created new tourism products and services, contributing to the diversification of tourism products and enhancing the experiences for visitors.

More specifically, on September 16, 2023, at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Thyadh, Saudi Arabia, UNESCO approved the dossier recognizing the Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago complex (located in Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city) as the first inter-provincial World Natural Heritage site in Vietnam. Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago is increasingly becoming a truly attractive tourist destination.

Currently, there are 5 tour itineraries in Ha Long Bay, each with its own unique features that attract tourists. On average, each tour lasts from 4 to 6 hours; the entrance fee ranges from 200,000 to 250,000 VND per person. Therefore, if tourists wish to visit 4 to 5 tours in Ha Long Bay, the total cost will be approximately 900,000 to 1,150,000 VND per person, and they will also need to purchase additional tickets and carry multiple tickets during the tour.

The current situation shows that some tour operators bringing tourists to Ha Long Bay are increasingly focusing on areas with pristine landscapes and private spaces within the bay to cater to the tastes of high-spending tourists, especially international visitors – those who prefer not to visit crowded and bustling destinations. Therefore, adding a new combined tour route in Ha Long Bay (combining all five itineraries) will contribute to diversifying service products, increasing choices and enhancing experiences for tourists, while also extending their length of stay in Ha Long City.

Art performances on cruise ships, combined with nighttime sightseeing and culinary experiences, have been a major draw for tourists recently.

When choosing a combined tour itinerary in Ha Long Bay, tourists only have to pay a lower fee than combining the fees of 4 to 5 separate itineraries, but they get to experience the panoramic view of Ha Long Bay; and enjoy a variety of tourism products and services such as: cave exploration, mountain climbing, swimming, kayaking, etc.

In light of this situation, and in order to diversify tourism products and services to meet the increasingly high demands of domestic and international tourists visiting Ha Long Bay, the Ha Long Bay Management Board has taken the lead in developing a proposal to charge entrance fees for three new routes: an exploration route for luxury cruises; a coastal sightseeing and tourism route for restaurant boats; and a fixed route from Tuan Chau to Gia Luan (Cat Ba).

Specifically, for the Ha Long Bay - Gia Luan tour, departing from Ha Long International Cruise Port and Tuan Chau International Cruise Port - Hon Chan Voi - Vung Ba Cua - Tung Lam Island - Hon Cap Bai (the final point of the journey adjacent to Gia Luan, Lan Ha Bay, Hai Phong City), the proposed fee for vehicles licensed by competent authorities to travel from Cat Ba to Ha Long and vice versa is between 120,000 and 150,000 VND per person per trip (round trip).

The proposed fee for a shared sightseeing tour of Ha Long Bay, departing from Ha Long International Cruise Port and Tuan Chau International Cruise Port, covering all four daytime tour routes as stipulated in Resolution 62/2017/NQ-HĐND for exploration cruises and other vehicles licensed by competent authorities, ranges from 480,000 to 600,000 VND per person.

The proposed fee for sightseeing tours along the coast of Ha Long Bay, departing from Tuan Chau Passenger Port - Ha Long International Cruise Port - Nam Cau Trang Port, for restaurant boats and other vessels licensed by competent authorities, is 80,000 to 100,000 VND per person per trip.

At all proposed fee levels, the Ha Long Bay Management Board offers preferential rates for Vietnamese citizens aged 60 and above, people with severe or extremely severe disabilities, and children under 7 years old and under 1.2m tall.

All proposed fees apply to new routes and itineraries in Ha Long Bay. For existing routes, current fees will remain unchanged.

According to representatives of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, the development of a project to charge entrance fees for Ha Long Bay at this time is necessary and consistent with the socio-economic development and tourism development orientation of Quang Ninh province in general, and the requirements for managing, preserving, and promoting the values of the Ha Long Bay Heritage Site in particular. New services implemented in the Bay will be strictly controlled. This will help increase tourism products for the development of the night-time economy; increase revenue from entrance fees, contributing to reinvestment in the World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay and the overall development of the locality.

To ensure thorough and objective preparation for finalizing the proposed content for submission to the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee for consideration before presenting it to the Provincial People's Council for approval, the Ha Long Bay Management Board has widely disseminated information through mass media regarding the collection of entrance fees on new tourist routes and itineraries. Simultaneously, it has organized consultations and collected feedback through surveys from relevant stakeholders. All comments and suggestions on the proposed entrance fees on new tourist routes and itineraries will be received online via email at dothuyhang@quangninh.gov.vn or sent directly to: Planning and Finance Department, Ha Long Bay Management Board, 166 Le Thanh Tong Street, Bach Dang Ward, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province. The deadline for receiving feedback is July 27th.

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