VI
EN
One of the new features of this regulation compared to the previous one is that tourists have more choices of tour times for Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, because the boats can depart earlier and return to port later than they do now.
Accordingly, for daytime sightseeing boats, during the summer (from April 1st to October 31st), they are allowed to depart at 5:00 AM and return no later than 8:00 PM, whereas currently they can only depart at 6:00 AM and must return before 7:00 PM. During the winter (from November 1st to March 31st of the following year), daytime sightseeing boats are allowed to depart at 5:30 AM and must return no later than 7:00 PM, whereas currently they can only depart at 6:30 AM and must return before 6:30 PM.
To better serve the needs of tourists, Quang Ninh has decided to extend the visiting hours on Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.
For restaurant boats operating along Ha Long Bay, the deadline for returning to the dock is 11 PM at the latest, whereas currently it is 10 PM. For overnight cruise ships in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, they must enter the designated overnight accommodation area in the bay no later than 6:30 PM in winter and 7 PM in summer. The operating hours for water-based recreational vessels in the bay are from 5:30 AM to 6:30 PM. These regulations do not apply to tourist boats that are not transporting passengers.
The People's Committee of Quang Ninh province has just issued regulations on measures to manage the operation of inland waterway vessels serving tourists in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.
According to some tour boat owners in Ha Long Bay, with the current schedule, there are almost no tourists or tour groups registering for tours of the bay from 6 am onwards. Therefore, it is unclear whether, starting from October 20th, when the boats are allowed to depart an hour earlier (5 am), there will be any customers registering for tours.
However, according to a representative of a travel company, extending the operating time of tourist boats in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay by two hours could provide a basis for travel companies to explore new tourism products for visitors. These could include early morning tours to watch the sunrise and experience the fresh, tranquil atmosphere at sea, or sunset tours over the bay.
