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The new passenger transport route from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao, scheduled to launch on March 28, 2025, will be operated by Thanh Thanh Phat Passenger Transport Co., Ltd., a company with experience in maritime transport under the brand Phu Quy Express. The vessel used for this route has an impressive capacity of 374 passengers, flexibly arranged with 84 comfortable seats and 290 convenient berths, promising a comfortable experience for passengers on the long journey.
According to the plan, the ferry will depart from Saigon Port (District 4) at 7:00 AM daily, with a frequency of one trip per day, alternating between the outbound and return journeys. Notably, on Fridays, to cater to the increased weekend travel demand, the ferry service will operate in both directions (outbound and return) on the same day.
A high-speed ferry with a capacity of 374 seats is licensed to transport passengers from central Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao Island, with a maximum of one trip per day.
It is noteworthy that Thanh Thanh Phat is not investing in a completely new ship for this route. Instead, the company will utilize a ship previously used on the Phan Thiet - Phu Quy route, a ship with an initial investment value of up to 63 billion VND but currently out of service due to various difficulties related to weather conditions, especially strong winds, resulting in low operational efficiency.
After thorough research, Thanh Thanh Phat recognized that the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao route has greater development potential. Firstly, Con Dao is an attractive tourist destination for people from Ho Chi Minh City, not only because of its pristine natural beauty but also because of its special spiritual and historical value. Secondly, at this time, no company is operating this waterway route, creating a great opportunity for Thanh Thanh Phat.
High-speed ferry service between Ho Chi Minh City and Con Dao Island.
In fact, last May, Ho Chi Minh City granted a license to Phu Quoc High-Speed Ferry Joint Stock Company to operate the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao high-speed ferry route. However, after two months of operation, the company had to announce the cessation of operations because the departure point was quite far from the city center, at Hiep Phuoc Port (Nha Be), more than 20km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, causing inconvenience for passengers. With its departure point right at Saigon Port (District 4), Thanh Thanh Phat has a greater advantage in attracting passengers.
The route: The ship departs from Saigon Port (District 4, Ho Chi Minh City) or Con Dao Passenger Port (Con Dao District, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province) at 11:30 AM.
The high-speed ferry industry is becoming an attractive investment sector, with many routes drawing the attention of investors, including routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau, Phan Thiet, Con Dao, and routes from the mainland to islands such as Phu Quoc, Nam Du, Con Dao, and Phu Quy. Among them, Superdong (SKG) is a prominent name. SKG's customers are mainly local residents, accounting for 50-60% of passengers, followed by domestic and international tourists. In addition, many other companies and shipping lines are involved in this industry, including DP Green Technology Company, Thuong Nhat Company, Trung Nhi, Con Dao Express 36, Lightning 68-8, etc.
Ho Chi Minh City, in particular, with its unique characteristics as a water-rich urban area, boasts a complex network of rivers and canals totaling 913km of waterways. This gives the city favorable conditions for developing water transport and waterway tourism, contributing to socio-economic development.
