Ensuring safety in tourism business in Ha Long Bay

In order to both promote the value of the World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay and sustainably protect the heritage, over the years, Quang Ninh has always focused on ensuring security and safety in tourism activities on the bay.

The province, departments and branches actively promote propaganda and dissemination of current legal regulations on cultural heritage, ensuring security and order, traffic safety, natural disaster prevention, fire and explosion prevention, search and rescue, environmental protection, ensuring a tourism business environment for organizations, individuals operating in socio-economic activities and communities living in the Ha Long Bay area.

Authorities inspect the safety conditions of tourist boats operating to transport visitors and stay in Ha Long Bay. Photo: Quoc Xa (Provincial Police)

The activities of ships transporting tourists visiting and staying in Ha Long Bay are strictly managed and monitored; thereby, the sectors and functional forces organize safe visits to Ha Long Bay for over 2.6 million visitors in 2024; of which more than 1.1 million are Vietnamese visitors and over 1.5 million are international visitors.

Relevant sectors and units regularly coordinate to organize inspections of facilities, infrastructure, operating conditions, and safety equipment of organizations and individuals doing business in Ha Long Bay. In particular, ensuring security and order, traffic safety; inspecting and handling violations of using watercraft to follow street vendors and exploiting and using prohibited fishing gear in the border area of ​​Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba, watercraft operating without registration and inspection; watercraft operators without professional qualifications and certificates as prescribed... continue to be strengthened.

In 2024, the units coordinated to organize 184 patrols and monitoring. Thereby, 45 violations were detected and handled. Administrative sanctions were proposed, with a fine of VND 323,750,000; 59 calls were received and answered to the Ha Long tourism hotline; 42 households and 1 cooperative were forced to relocate more than 13 hectares of illegal aquaculture cages in Ha Long Bay.

The Waterway Police Team, Traffic Police Department of the Provincial Police, checks the compliance with the regulation of not using alcohol during the shift for crew members of ships staying overnight in Ha Long Bay. Photo: Hong Viet

Along with that, departments, branches, forces, and localities also coordinate to organize patrols, monitor, and prevent vehicles carrying tourists to visit some caves and islands that are not on the route, tourist attractions that have not been announced to welcome tourists according to regulations. In 2024, 13 vehicles carrying passengers for illegal recreational squid fishing were inspected and handled; 6 speedboats carrying passengers to visit deserted islands in the Bay...

The province also focuses on the management of water recreation activities in Ha Long Bay. Quang Ninh has built a dossier to request approval and announcement of water recreation areas in Ha Long Bay according to regulations; currently, there are 8 announced water areas in Ha Long Bay: Hang Luon, Cua Van, Ho Dong Tien - Hang Trinh Nu, Cong Do, Ba Hang, Tung Sau, Vong Vieng and Hang Co.

The authorities regularly organize and inspect the business situation of kayak, rowboat and speedboat tourism services on Ha Long Bay; thereby promptly guiding and correcting organizations and businesses to prepare conditions to serve tourists. Currently, there are 427 ships (317 sightseeing ships, 104 accommodation ships and 4 restaurant ships, 2 cruise ships), 430 kayaks, 102 rowboats and 31 speedboats signed contracts to serve tourism activities on Ha Long Bay.

On the other hand, to proactively ensure good fire prevention and fighting; prevent, respond to and overcome natural disasters to serve tourism activities in Ha Long Bay, sectors and localities continue to well implement the province's directives, plans and documents and organize many activities suitable to the situation.

Inland waterway port authorities inspect tourist boats operating in Ha Long Bay. Photo: Do ​​Phuong

In 2024, Ha Long Bay Management Board and Quang Ninh Medical College coordinated to organize training, professional training and certification of first aid and transportation of victims at sea for over 41 officials and employees of Ha Long Bay Management Board, 56 employees of organizations and enterprises operating socio-economically in Ha Long Bay. Or Ha Long Bay Management Board coordinated with the Department of Foreign Affairs to welcome and work with the Consulates of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada to visit and survey facilities, equipment, human resources, response plans, search and rescue to ensure the safety of citizens of the country when traveling to Ha Long Bay...

The interdisciplinary team on duty for search and rescue on Ha Long Bay is fully equipped with means and equipment to proactively and effectively respond to incidents, natural disasters and search and rescue at sea, minimizing damage to people and vehicles participating in activities on Ha Long Bay.

In 2024, departments, branches and functional forces coordinated to handle 13 incidents that occurred in the bay, coordinated to search for victims of the ferry sinking at Ha An Ferry Wharf (Ha An Ward, Quang Yen Town) and drowning victims at the beach opposite Reu Island (Bai Chay Ward, Ha Long City); resolved and handled the incident of barge registration number HP4670 capsized in the Ha Long Bay World Heritage area...

Thanks to the diversity of activities in ensuring safety for tourism services in Ha Long Bay, it has contributed to improving the quality of tourism in the area. In 2024, the total number of tourists to Quang Ninh is about 19 million, an increase of 20% compared to 2023; total tourism revenue is about 46,460 billion VND./.