Proposal to add new tourist itinerary on Ha Long Bay

Based on the practical situation in the management and exploitation of routes and itineraries for sightseeing and tourism in Ha Long Bay, the Ha Long Bay Management Board plans to propose the construction of new tourist itineraries to meet the increasing needs of tourists and effectively and sustainably exploit the value of the World Heritage - Natural Wonder of Ha Long Bay.

Tourists kayak to see the beautiful scenery of Ha Long Bay.

In recent times, Quang Ninh tourism has had a strong recovery. Along with the re-attraction of visitors to Ha Long Bay on the 5 available routes, many businesses continue to invest in new products such as luxury cruise ships, restaurant ships operating on the Bay and coastal areas; organizing many events, unique art performances combined with night sightseeing, enjoying cuisine ... Therefore, new tourism products and services have been created; contributing to diversifying tourism products, increasing the experience for tourists.

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

Currently, there are 5 tours in Ha Long Bay, each with its own characteristics to attract tourists. The average tour time of a tour lasts from 4 to 6 hours; the tour fee ranges from 200,000 - 250,000 VND/trip. Thus, if tourists want to visit 4 to 5 tours in Ha Long Bay, it will cost from 900,000 VND/trip to 1,150,000 VND/trip, and they will have to go through additional ticket purchase procedures and hold multiple tickets during the tour.

The current situation shows that some travel agencies bringing tourists to visit Ha Long Bay are tending to bring tourists to experience areas with pristine landscapes and private spaces on the bay to meet the tastes of high-paying tourists, especially international tourists - tourists who do not want to go to crowded and crowded places. Therefore, opening an additional general tour route on Ha Long Bay (combining all 5 itineraries) contributes to diversifying service products, increasing choices and experiences for tourists, while extending the length of stay of tourists in Ha Long City.

Art performances on cruise ships combined with night sightseeing and culinary enjoyment have been a great attraction for tourists recently.

When choosing a joint tour of Ha Long Bay, tourists only have to pay a lower fee than combining the fees of 4 to 5 tours, but still experience the panoramic view of Ha Long Bay; experience a variety of tourism products and services such as: visiting caves, climbing mountains, swimming, kayaking...

Faced with that reality, in order to diversify tourism types and products to meet the increasing experience needs of domestic and international tourists visiting Ha Long Bay, the Ha Long Bay Management Board has chaired the development of a proposal to collect fees for visiting Ha Long Bay for 3 new routes, including: Discovery route for luxury cruise ships; sightseeing and tourism route along Ha Long Bay for restaurant ships; fixed route Tuan Chau - Gia Luan (Cat Ba).

In particular, the tour of Ha Long Bay - Gia Luan, departing from Ha Long international passenger port and Tuan Chau international passenger port - Hon Chan Voi - Vung Ba Cua - Tung Lam island - Cap Bai island (the final point of the journey adjacent to Gia Luan, Lan Ha Bay, Hai Phong City), means of transport licensed by competent authorities from Cat Ba to Ha Long and vice versa are proposed to have a fee of 120,000 to 150,000 VND/time/person/round trip.

The general tour itinerary on Ha Long Bay, departing from Ha Long International Passenger Port and Tuan Chau International Passenger Port, visiting and traveling on all 4 daytime sightseeing routes as prescribed in Resolution 62/2017/NQ-HDND for discovery cruises and other means licensed by competent authorities is proposed to cost from 480,000 to 600,000 VND/person.

The proposed fee for sightseeing and tourism trips along the coast of Ha Long Bay, departing from Tuan Chau Passenger Port - Ha Long International Port - Nam Cau Trang Port for restaurant ships and other vehicles licensed by competent authorities, is 80,000 to 100,000 VND/time/person.

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

All proposed fees are for new routes and itineraries on Ha Long Bay. For existing routes, the current fee rates will remain the same.

According to the representative of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, the development of a project to collect entrance fees to Ha Long Bay at this time is necessary and consistent with the orientation of socio-economic development and tourism development of Quang Ninh province in general and the requirements for management, conservation and promotion of the values of Ha Long Bay Heritage in particular. New services on the Bay when implemented will be strictly controlled. Thereby helping to increase tourism products for night-time economic development; increase entrance fee revenue, contributing to reinvestment in the Heritage - Natural Wonder of the World Ha Long Bay and the general development of the locality.

In order to carefully and objectively prepare for the completion of the proposed content for the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee to consider and submit to the Provincial People's Council for approval, the Ha Long Bay Management Board has organized widespread information on the mass media about the collection of entrance fees on new sightseeing and tourism routes and itineraries. At the same time, it organized to collect opinions and opinions through survey forms from relevant subjects. All opinions and comments on the proposed contents of the collection of entrance fees on new sightseeing and tourism routes and itineraries will be received by the Ha Long Bay Management Board online via the email address: [email protected] or sent directly to the address: Planning and Finance Department, Ha Long Bay Management Board, 166 Le Thanh Tong, Bach Dang Ward, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh. The deadline for completing the receipt of opinions is before July 27.

Source