Cat Ba welcomes Western tourists back after the storm

Despite being severely affected by storm No. 3 (Yagi), the authorities and tourism service businesses in Cat Ba archipelago (Cat Hai district, Hai Phong city) have proactively repaired and rehabilitated facilities, and added human resources to start the peak season of welcoming international tourists for the winter-spring vacation.

International tourists experience cycling in Viet Hai fishing village, Cat Ba. Photo: Nguyen Hoan

Recover

More than a month after storm No. 3 (Yagi), people on Cat Ba Island (Cat Hai District, Hai Phong City) have gradually overcome some of the impacts and damage to facilities and infrastructure. At the same time, they have mobilized human resources to start welcoming tourists back, especially foreign tourists during the peak winter-spring resort season.

On October 15-16, the Dong Bai - Cai Vieng ferry terminal operated every 30 minutes, transporting thousands of tourists. Among them, many international tourist groups came to the island for sightseeing and relaxation.

Along the central streets of Cat Ba town, service businesses, urban infrastructure, and basic tourism infrastructure have been cleaned up. Groups and delegations of international visitors checking in at hotels, homestays, and restaurants are a positive sign for the islanders.

At Cai Beo wharf during the morning and late afternoon rush hours, dozens of tourist boats pick up visitors to see the bay. Most of the visitors are foreigners using the day tour service to see the bay and experience Viet Hai village.

Driving a tourist boat carrying international tourists to visit Lan Ha Bay, Anh Hai (32 years old, in Cat Ba) shared that after the storm, the large number of international tourists still coming to the island right after the storm is a good sign.

Many Western tourists share that they still choose Cat Ba because of its wildness and fresh air. They rent motorbikes in groups or book tours to the island to explore. After checking through the forest, they take a boat to the bay to see the inter-provincial heritage of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago and enjoy specialties.

Ms. Thuy (45 years old), owner of a 7-storey hotel in Cat Ba town, shared that her business was fortunate to have suffered only minor damage, with some glass doors, a metal roof, and a rooftop bar damaged. Her family focused on human resources and materials to repair and renovate within a month after the storm.

Since early October, the hotel has started welcoming guests again. The female hotel owner shared that the winter-spring tourist season in Cat Ba mainly serves foreign tourists. Therefore, hotels and restaurants that meet the standards are urgently repairing their facilities to soon resume business and recover.

Winter - Spring tourist season kicks off

Mr. Trung (40 years old, Aroma Cat Ba Tourism Company) is the owner of a hotel and restaurant complex. He shared: The company has 2 hotels with a total of 40 rooms. Although it is the peak winter-spring vacation season, the room capacity is only about 20 rooms/day, down about 50% compared to 2024. Meanwhile, the forest checking service in Cat Ba National Park has also decreased compared to the same period last year.

“Although the number of visitors has decreased significantly compared to last year, in the context of the post-storm period, the large number of international visitors still choosing Cat Ba is a very good sign for businesses and people on the island,” said Mr. Trung.

According to statistics of the Management Board Cat Ba Bay, in the first half of September 2024, the locality welcomed a total of more than 17,000 tourists, including more than 7,800 visitors and more than 9,100 overnight guests. In the first week of October, Cat Ba welcomed about 13,500 visitors, including more than 9,300 overnight guests and nearly 4,000 visitors.

A representative of the People's Committee of Cat Hai district (Hai Phong city) said that more than a month after storm No. 3, the locality has focused on human resources and means to clean up the environment, repair technical infrastructure, and tourism infrastructure.

In particular, environmental sanitation work has collected more than 10,000m3 of waste, including fallen trees and materials damaged by the storm. The locality has also implemented plans to support people and businesses, proposing policies to reduce taxes, defer debt, reduce interest rates and support loans so that people can recover soon and welcome visitors back.

At the end of October, the locality coordinated with other units to organize the "Cat Ba Sunset Colors 2024" race, with the participation of many international runners. This will be the highlight event to kick off, attract international tourists to Cat Ba Winter - Spring.

In the first 9 months of 2024, Cat Ba welcomed more than 1 million international visitors, reaching the annual plan target. The reason is that since Cat Ba Archipelago became a world natural heritage along with Ha Long Bay, the number of international visitors has increased.

Despite heavy damage caused by storm No. 3, Cat Ba welcomed thousands of international visitors to visit and stay overnight in the bay in late September and early October. With this signal, the last 3 months of 2024 in During the peak winter tourist season, Cat Ba is expected to welcome tens of thousands of international visitors.

Source