Nhiều giải pháp quản lý nâng cao chất lượng trong hoạt động kinh doanh vận chuyển khách du lịch và tăng cường trải nghiệm cho du khách tham quan vịnh Hạ Long - quần đảo Cát Bà

Many management solutions have been implemented to improve the quality of tourist transport services and enhance the visitor experience on Ha Long Bay and the Cat Ba Archipelago

Currently, there are 502 registered tourist boats operating on Ha Long Bay, with 437 of them having signed contracts for anchoring in 2024 with Ha Long Bay Management Department (including 106 overnight boats, 325 sightseeing boats, 4 restaurants, and 2 cruises). Each tourism business operating on Ha Long Bay has its own goals and target markets, actively enhancing their competitiveness through various solutions, including improving vehicle safety and service quality.

In particular, following the guidance of Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee on expanding the scale and capacity of rooms and ensuring safety standards, technical conditions, environmental protection, and improving service quality, many businesses have boldly invested significant capital to build new transport vessels. These include many high-end vessels with luxurious architectural designs, modern amenities, and strict safety and environmental protection standards, including fire safety systems. Some businesses have even pioneered investments in higher-than-standard vessels to provide superior service quality to meet their target markets and improve their competitiveness in Ha Long Bay's tourism services.

Most tourism businesses on Ha Long Bay, especially large ones, have established strong brands and reputations. Many of their products are selected by both domestic and international travel agencies and included in main tour programs, often planned annually. This indicates that with the establishment of distinct brands, independent customer acquisition, and a primary focus on pre-booked services (with very few walk-in customers), there is little competition for customers between businesses and boats on Ha Long Bay, contrary to some reports in the past.

In recent years, the number of tourist boats has remained stable, with only increased capacity and improved safety standards, technical conditions, environmental protection, and service quality. However, the number of visitors to Ha Long Bay has not fully recovered yet due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and Typhoon Yagi. In 2024, 3,216,484 tourists visited Ha Long Bay, reaching only 73.1% of 2019 levels (before the pandemic), with the majority visiting the VHL1 and VHL2 routes (for day visitors) and VHL2 and VHL4 routes (for overnight guests). According to the Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority's data in 2024, the average occupancy rate of tourist boats was just about 50%, mainly concentrated in summer months (occupancy rates around 80-90% of total seats), leading to underutilization of the boats' full capacity and wastage of business resources. Moreover, some boats still have poor quality, have not been upgraded in time, and their service quality remains limited.

Therefore, the Quang Ninh People's Committee has instructed relevant departments, industries, and localities to proactively and urgently advise on and implement a series of measures to address existing issues and improve the quality of tourism services, maximize the capacity of tourist transport vessels, meet visitor needs, and protect the heritage. This includes the issuance of Decision No. 43/2024/QD-UBND dated October 8, 2024, which stipulates the management measures for inland waterway vehicles serving tourists on Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, Decision No. 2119/QD-UBND dated July 19, 2024, announcing the tourist routes on Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, and developing a plan to improve the quality of the tourist fleet in Quang Ninh Province by 2030.

In particular, after some time of implementation, the provincial government has directed relevant agencies to review and adjust Decision No. 43/2024/QD-UBND, focusing on removing restrictions on businesses' rights under the law, encouraging investments, and complying with UNESCO recommendations. They are also reviewing and resolving issues related to transport operations by restaurant boats, ensuring businesses' legitimate rights, and researching solutions for digitizing tourist capacity control.

In addition to encouraging investment in the quality of tourist transport vessels, to enhance the visitor experience on Ha Long Bay and the Cat Ba Archipelago, the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Council recently issued Resolution No. 51/2025/NQ-HĐND, amending and supplementing some regulations on fees related to tourism in the province. This includes a revised fee structure for three new tourist routes on Ha Long Bay: VHL6, VHL7, and VHL8, with the VHL6 route (covering the areas from the Tourist Port to Hon Chan Voi, Vung Ba Cua, Tung Lam Island, and Cap Bai Island, which connects with Gia Luan, Lan Ha Bay in Hai Phong) having an entry fee of VND 150,000 per person per day.

This is one of the measures to implement UNESCO's recommendations, foster cooperation between Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, and support the development of common tourism products and services, strengthening heritage connections. The introduction of the VHL6 route is expected to attract both visitors and travel businesses, offering more transport options and enriching the visitor experience.

Currently, Ha Long Bay Management Department is collaborating with relevant departments to prepare for the implementation of these new routes, which will begin charging fees on May 1, 2025, according to Resolution No. 51/2025/NQ-HĐND, ensuring convenience for tourists and tour operators while maximizing revenue from tourism fees.

The implementation of a range of solutions to enhance service quality, optimize the efficiency of tourist vessels, and protect Ha Long Bay’s heritage has contributed to improving the competitive environment and the image, status, and brand of Ha Long Bay tourism. The addition of new tourist routes also provides visitors with the opportunity to experience both Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh) and the Cat Ba Archipelago (Hai Phong) - Vietnam's first inter-provincial UNESCO Heritage site.

Translated by Thuy Ha