Quang Ninh: Ha Long Bay

Possessing exceptional aesthetic, scenic, geological, and geomorphological values, and with guaranteed security and safety, Ha Long Bay ( Quang Ninh ) is increasingly asserting itself as a year-round destination chosen by a large number of people, domestic and international tourists.

Visiting Ha Long Bay and historical sites in the province during the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake 2025, Jack Chong (a Malaysian tourist) shared: "Like many Asian countries, the Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays for many Malaysians. It's also a time for Malaysians to reunite with family and loved ones to look forward to good things. With the belief that a good start is the foundation for a lucky year, after researching from many sources, for the Lunar New Year of 2025, after performing traditional New Year rituals with my family in Malaysia, my family and friends chose Ha Long Bay, Vietnam as our first destination. As expected, not only did we get to participate in activities welcoming the new year according to Vietnamese customs and culture, but we also enjoyed many delicious dishes characteristic of Vietnamese Tet, especially in Quang Ninh." In particular, despite the lively atmosphere and large crowds, it was very safe, traffic was smooth, and there was no theft or social vice. This is truly a wonderful start to the new year.

Tourists from Malaysia take souvenir photos at Tuan Chau International Cruise Port before visiting Ha Long Bay.

Reportedly, from January 29th to February 4th (the 1st to 5th day of the Lunar New Year 2025), Ha Long Bay welcomed nearly 1,500 sightseeing boat trips with over 39,600 visitors, including nearly 31,500 foreign tourists. There were also 364 overnight stays on the bay with nearly 10,500 visitors, mainly foreign tourists, representing a 36% increase compared to the same period of the Lunar New Year 2024. Despite the high visitor numbers, thanks to effective state management of social order, residency management, and enhanced management of businesses operating under security and order conditions, all sightseeing and relaxation needs of the people and tourists were met; no traffic accidents occurred in Ha Long Bay in particular and along the entire waterway network of the province.

During the Lunar New Year of 2025 (Year of the Snake), the number of tourists staying in the Bay increased dramatically, with the average occupancy rate of overnight cruise ships reaching 80-90%.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Thin, Head of the Waterway Police Team, Traffic Police Department (Provincial Police), to ensure safety and best serve the travel and sightseeing needs of the people and tourists, even before the Lunar New Year, based on a thorough understanding of the situation and information from travel agencies and accommodation businesses, the Traffic Police Department proactively coordinated with the professional departments of the Provincial Police and the Ha Long City Police to conduct a comprehensive inspection and review of the technical safety conditions of vehicles, drug testing, and verification of the qualifications and professional certificates of captains, crew members, and workers on all vessels transporting tourists and providing accommodation in the Bay. During the Tet holiday, strictly following the directives of the Party Committee and the Provincial Police leadership, the unit mobilized maximum forces and resources to organize duty and standby duty as prescribed, while strengthening information exchange and coordination with the Provincial Border Guard, the Waterway Port Authority, and other relevant forces. They intensified patrols and inspections, conducting surprise checks on compliance with regulations ensuring waterway traffic safety by vessel owners and crew members; resolutely and strictly handling violations that pose potential safety risks, especially violations related to: alcohol levels, overloading, and failure to ensure proper watchkeeping and shift duties.

The Traffic Police Department, in coordination with other professional departments (Provincial Police), and the Ha Long City Police, is intensifying patrols to ensure safety and provide services for overnight cruise ships in the Bay.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, the Waterway Police Team of the Traffic Police Department (Provincial Police) alone detected and handled 16 vessels carrying goods exceeding the safe waterline mark, 5 cases of crew members and employees working on ships violating alcohol concentration limits, 1 case of an employee working on a ship testing positive for drugs, and transferred 4 criminal cases to the competent authorities for prosecution (2 cases of illegal possession of drugs, 2 cases of using destructive fishing gear in Ha Long Bay).

Authorities are inspecting compliance with safety regulations on ships serving overnight guests in the Bay during the Lunar New Year holiday of 2025.

With numerous comprehensive and decisive measures implemented to ensure security and order in the tourism sector, shortcomings in state management of tourism have been promptly detected, rectified, and addressed, ensuring security and safety in Ha Long Bay in particular and Quang Ninh province in general. This is an important prerequisite for Quang Ninh to strive to attract 19 million tourists in 2025, including 3.8 million international visitors.

According to Quang Ninh Newspaper

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/quang-ninh-vinh-ha-long-diem-den-an-toan-20250213150733558.htm