Surprised when informed that the fireworks display organizer would charge 50,000 VND for each visitor to Ha Long Bay on two weekend nights, Head of Ha Long Bay Management Board (Quang Ninh) Vu Kien Cuong affirmed that he did not agree with this fee for tourists visiting Ha Long Bay.
The head of the Ha Long Bay Management Board shared that the fireworks viewing fee received two opinions from tourists. Tourists with means did not react much. However, for the average tourist, this caused them to spend unreasonably.
They said that their purpose of getting off the ship was to visit Ha Long Bay and enjoy local seafood , not to watch fireworks. Charging tourists to watch fireworks is unreasonable.
Currently, each visitor has to pay two fees: a bay tour fee of 70,000 VND/person and a port service fee of 60,000 VND/person. Therefore, if a fee for watching fireworks is paid, the cost will be up to 180,000 VND/person, not including other food and beverage service costs.
Due to the unexpected fee, many restaurant boat owners had to pay the fireworks viewing fee out of their own pocket because they had signed a contract with their guests for a whole month, so the price could not be changed. Some boats with a large number of guests, nearly 300, had to pay the fireworks display unit more than ten million VND each night, unintentionally.
A boat owner shared that if the fireworks display unit is determined to collect this fee from visitors to Ha Long Bay, in the long run, the business will be forced to factor it into the cost. Therefore, the price will be pushed up, limiting the ability to compete.
The leader of the Ha Long Tourist Boat Association shared that organizing fireworks displays to stimulate tourism is a good thing. However, if organizing fireworks displays and charging fees for visitors to Ha Long Bay, it needs to be considered; because the prices offered by the restaurant and boat companies are already quite low, if they increase, it will reduce competitiveness.
Realizing the unreasonable cost, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ninh, Nguyen Lam Nguyen, said that the Department will send a written report to the province to request the fireworks display organizer to consider charging tourists to watch the fireworks in Ha Long Bay.
However, the decision to collect or not to collect fees depends largely on the business, because this revenue is not on the list of items that must be declared.
Specifically, tourists visiting restaurant boats on Ha Long Bay on Friday and Saturday evenings are charged an additional fee of VND50,000/person to watch fireworks.
A restaurant boat owner on Ha Long Bay shared that if the boat does not pay the fireworks viewing fee, they will not provide a list of passengers passing through the port. Therefore, the boat will not be able to make the departure order.
Previously, on July 1 and 2, Ha Long Sun Company Limited consecutively sent two official dispatches No. 108/2025/HLC-CV and 113/2025/HLC-CV requesting the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province to allow low-altitude and high-altitude fireworks displays in the area of Ha Long international passenger port and Sun Canival square (Bai Chay ward) from 9-10 pm every Friday and Saturday; the socialized funding is sponsored by Ha Long Sun Company Limited.
On July 2, the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province issued Official Letter No. 2260/UBND-VHXH agreeing to the proposal to set off fireworks by Ha Long Sun Company Limited. The fireworks display was held immediately after that from July 4-5, attracting a large number of tourists.
Mr. Pham Van Hiep, Director of Ha Long Sun Limited Liability Company, said that the company organizes two forms of fireworks viewing fee collection.
For tourists entering the area where the unit arranges to watch fireworks, the agent sells tickets for 65,000 VND/person, the company collects 50,000 VND/person. For visitors to Ha Long Bay on a restaurant boat, there is an additional charge of 50,000 VND/person, collected together with the service fee through Ha Long international passenger port.
In fact, some service business locations that Ha Long Sun Limited Company leases to partners also charge an additional VND50,000/guest to watch fireworks on Friday and Saturday nights./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/quang-ninh-nhieu-luong-y-kien-ve-viec-thu-phi-xem-pho-hoa-tren-vinh-ha-long-post1048538.vnp
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