The high-speed boat from the mainland to the islands of Kien Giang has not resumed operations, causing many tourists to cancel their tours to Phu Quoc, leaving some stranded on the island.
The Maritime Port Authority of Kien Giang Province said that from September 2, it has stopped issuing licenses for ferry routes from the mainland to the islands and vice versa. However, the high-speed boat to Hon Son is still operating. Mr. Ho Thanh Sang - Chief Representative of the Maritime Port Authority in Phu Quoc, said that the boat schedule depends on the weather. As of the afternoon of September 3, there was still no new announcement about the boat schedule to resume.
Tourists board a boat to Hon Son, morning of September 2. Photo: Duong Dong
The suspension of ferry and boat routes due to the impact of storm Sao La has left some tourists stranded on the island.
Khanh Chi (26 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) and a group of friends visited Ba Hon Dam tourist area, Ba Lua archipelago, Kien Luong, Kien Giang from August 31. According to the plan, the group would return to Ho Chi Minh City on September 2. Because the ship stopped running, the female tourist was still unable to return to the mainland by the evening of September 3.
"There are about 5 trains going back and forth between the island and the mainland every day. The train company has helped us change our tickets, but there is still no exact time when the train will operate again. The whole group is worried that we won't be able to get back to the city in time to go to work," Khanh Chi said.
Bad weather also affected the group's itinerary. Rough seas and heavy rains prevented speedboats and canoes from operating. For most of the trip, the group "just stayed in the hotel."
The suspension of trains has also caused many customers to cancel their tours to Phu Quoc, according to Mr. Pham Trung Hau, Director of Rooty Trip Phu Quoc.
"Before the holiday, the number of customers booking island tours at my company fluctuated between 200-300. This could be the most positive number compared to other units. However, when the weather was bad, most customers chose to cancel the tour, only about 20% of customers agreed to switch to onshore tours," said Mr. Hau.
Mr. Hau also added that this year, Phu Quoc has a "record low" of visitors. If we only count the occasion of September 2, the number of visitors "is not even equal to the summer days". Before the holiday, tourism businesses on the island have prepared measures to attract visitors. Most hotels and restaurants on the island do not apply holiday surcharges, and travel agencies offer a 10% discount.
Mr. Nguyen Vu Khac Huy, General Director of Vina Phu Quoc Travel, said that on September 2, there was a group of tourists stuck in Rach Gia City and Ha Tien. Because the ship had not yet run again on September 3, and there were only nearly two days left of the holiday, all the stranded guests canceled their tours to Phu Quoc. The company refunded the guests' deposits and did not charge any additional fees.
According to the Southern Hydrometeorological Station, due to the impact of storm Sao La, the sea area from Ca Mau to Kien Giang will have showers and thunderstorms, strong southwest winds of level 5-6, gusts of level 7-8, and waves of 1.5-3 m high. Phu Quoc Island is located in the southwest, 120 km east of Rach Gia city and 45 km west of Ha Tien city. Every day, there are more than 30 high-speed ferry trips from the mainland to this island, carrying about 4,800 passengers.
In addition to speedboats, visitors can arrive and depart Phu Quoc by air, which is still operating normally.
A representative of a resort in Bai Truong, Duong To commune, Phu Quoc said that most of the tourists at 5-star hotels and resorts were not affected by the suspension of the speedboat because most of them were foreign tourists, arriving in Phu Quoc by flights from Ho Chi Minh City. A media representative of Pullman Phu Quoc hotel said that foreign tourists accounted for 90% of the total number of guests. Room occupancy on September 3 was only 40% due to storms.
Bich Phuong - Van Khanh
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