Director of Quang Ninh Department of Tourism speaks out

For several days now, during their trips to Ha Long City (Quang Ninh province), many tourists have had to seek refuge in shopping malls or coastal areas to escape the heat due to widespread power outages at hotels and other accommodations.

Locals and tourists flocked to the Ha Long Bay beach area to enjoy the breeze due to a power outage. (Photo: Dai Doan Ket)

“We were in Hai Phong , traveling to Ha Long, and staying at the Vuon Dao area in Bai Chay. Around dusk, the power went out. The hotel owner informed us that the outage would last until 8 PM, but even at 10 PM, it still hadn't come back on. The whole family had to move to the Tuan Chau gate area to rent a guesthouse to sleep overnight.”

"The next day, my family planned to go to Tuan Chau but heard there was a power outage there. So this morning, the whole family checked out of the hotel and went back to Do Son because Hai Phong doesn't have such frequent power outages," a tourist shared on a social media group.

Also providing information about the power outage to VTC News , Ms. Do Thi Lan, CEO of Viethouse Travel, said that her company specializes in leading tours and operating hotels in Ha Long City. In recent days, widespread rolling power outages have significantly impacted Viethouse Travel's business operations.

According to Ms. Lan, this situation has been going on for nearly 10 days now, affecting all hotel and restaurant businesses, but tourists are the ones who suffer the most.

"It's really frustrating. In recent days, Ha Long has been touted as a city that comes alive at night, but not because of thriving nighttime services, but because people flock to the beaches and streets to enjoy the breeze due to power outages in many hotels and residential areas. Ha Long's tourism industry has been significantly affected," Ms. Lan said.

According to the CEO of Viethouse Travel, small hotels with 3 stars or less that do not have the means to install their own generators face many difficulties, and restaurants cannot guarantee the best service for tourists: " No matter how delicious the food is, if tourists have to eat in the hot sun without electricity, they won't be able to enjoy it. This affects the guests' morale, causing frustration and disappointment ."

Because of these inconveniences, many tour groups have changed their plans due to fears of power outages in Ha Long.

“Last Saturday, we were leading a group of tourists to Ha Long. Seeing that there was a power outage, they immediately hired a car to travel to Mong Cai and stayed there for the night. They only returned the next day when the power outage was over,” the CEO of Viethouse Travel recounted.

Shopping malls in Ha Long City were packed with people seeking refuge from the heat due to a power outage. (Photo: Quoc Nam/ Nong Nghiep Newspaper )

Meanwhile, the owner of a seafood restaurant in Bai Chay ward said that in recent days, the number of customers using the restaurant's services has dropped drastically, and the restaurant has been consistently empty despite being in the peak tourist season.

“ We had a generator, but its power was only enough for a few electric fans and some light bulbs; it couldn't power the air conditioner. Therefore, customers only dared to eat light, quick meals before leaving. I think many people, knowing about the frequent power outages in Ha Long, no longer want to visit and are waiting for the problem to be fixed before coming. As a result, the number of customers has dropped significantly,” the restaurant owner said.

Responding to VTC News regarding the widespread and frequent power outages, Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuy, Director of the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism, said that immediately after noticing the problems, the Quang Ninh provincial authorities sent a request to the power sector to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

“The power outages were most severe on June 3rd, a common situation in many localities nationwide. We recognize tourism as a key industry for the locality, so we have worked with the power company to develop a reasonable plan, ensuring the best possible conditions for business operations to serve tourists. As a result, on June 5th and today, June 6th, the power outages have not been widespread and are becoming more stable. Tourists can rest assured when visiting Ha Long in the coming days,” Mr. Thuy informed.

Meanwhile, according to the Agriculture Newspaper, a representative from the Quang Ninh Power Company stated that the continuous power outages in recent days were orchestrated by the National Power System Dispatch Center (A0) to ensure the safe operation of the power system during the prolonged intense heatwave.

According to EVN Quang Ninh, on May 31st alone, the province's electricity consumption reached 930.3 MW (a 13.2% increase compared to the same period in 2022). To ensure no power outages and the safety of the system, EVN Quang Ninh, in coordination with the Department of Industry and Trade, closely monitored the Power System Dispatch Center to regulate power reductions to the lowest possible level, meeting the electricity needs of customers, especially during the high school entrance exam period.

However, due to unusual weather patterns and reduced power output at several thermal power plants across the North, EVN Quang Ninh was instructed by A0 to urgently reduce power output to 158.7MW.

Therefore, on June 1st and 2nd, EVN Quang Ninh had to implement emergency rotational power cuts on 78 out of 128 medium-voltage power lines in the province, from Dong Trieu to Dam Ha. Due to the emergency nature of the cuts, at certain times and in certain areas, Quang Ninh Power Company was unable to promptly send notification messages to electricity customers.

Thanh Lam

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Source: https://vtc.vn/ha-long-mat-dien-trien-mien-du-khach-kho-so-gd-so-du-lich-quang-ninh-len-tieng-ar797868.html