Kinhtedothi - From March 1, the Hanoi People's Committee officially banned cars with 16 seats or more from circulating in Hanoi's Old Quarter during certain hours. This regulation has affected the tourism industry in picking up and dropping off passengers, so businesses have taken appropriate measures.
Stop operating 16-seat vehicles in the Old Quarter
From March 1, cars with more than 16 seats will be banned on some streets of the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake from 6:30 to 8:30 and from 16:30 to 18:30. After being reviewed by the authorities, this regulation will affect the activities of welcoming tourists at 138 hotels in the Old Quarter. Specifically, Dong Xuan Ward has 10 hotels, Hang Buom Ward has 66 hotels, Hang Bac Ward has 47 hotels, and Hang Trong Ward has 15 hotels.
Expressing his opinion on the Hanoi People's Committee banning cars with more than 16 seats from circulating in the Old Quarter, Director of Lux Group Company Limited Pham Ha said that currently, Bangkok (Thailand) has banned large vehicles from entering densely populated areas, only allowing small 16-seat cars to transport tourists. Therefore, the application of this regulation by Hanoi is also a common trend in the region.
Agreeing with this view, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wonder Tour Company Le Cong Nang said that restricting large cars from moving in the old town will create conditions for tourists to walk and cycle to explore every corner of the old town, immersing themselves in the lives of the people. This is also a condition for travel businesses to change their tourism mindset, aiming for green, sustainable and experiential products.
“For a long time, Hanoi’s Old Quarter has been famous for its beautiful small streets, ancient houses, street vendors and traditional cultural activities. The walking space has many rich and attractive activities, but because of the noise and bustle of vehicles, many tourists have not been able to fully experience that beauty,” said Mr. Le Cong Nang.
Tourism businesses rush to find solutions
To adapt to the new regulations of Hanoi, tourism businesses and hotels are finding ways to adapt by arranging small cars to pick up and drop off guests at gathering points during rush hours.
A representative of Apricot Hotel 136 Hang Trong (Hang Trong Ward, Hoan Kiem) said that the hotel cooperates with tourism businesses to minimize the reception of groups of guests during rush hours, prohibiting vehicles with more than 16 seats from entering the Old Quarter. If it is impossible to avoid picking up and dropping off guests during this time, the hotel and travel businesses will arrange small vehicles to pick up guests to the meeting point.
Marketing Director of BestPrice Travel Bui Thanh Tu said, if it is impossible to avoid rush hour, our current solution is to rent a car with less than 16 seats for guests to meet at the gathering point before departing to the tourist destination". Similarly, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sunvina Travel Ta Huu Chien also expressed that to adapt to the new regulations, the company is cooperating with transportation units to provide flexible and convenient travel solutions for tourists.
In addition to renting shuttle buses, to adapt to the new regulations and avoid inconveniences in transportation, some travel agencies choose to move guests to hotels on the outskirts of the Old Quarter, not necessarily in the central area. Accordingly, the hotel system in some neighborhoods such as Chau Long, Nguyen Truong To, Quan Thanh, Tran Nhan Tong... has been chosen by travel agencies because these locations ensure convenience for guests to travel around Hanoi.
Regarding the cooperation with businesses to adapt to the new regulations of Hanoi, the Chairman of the Hoan Kiem District Tourism Association, Duong Thi Thanh Tam, said that the unit is currently focusing on guiding visitors to walk or use other public transport to pick-up points outside the restricted area. "We have arranged signs and have support staff to ensure that visitors do not have difficulty finding their way," Ms. Duong Thi Thanh Tam affirmed.
In addition to trying to adapt to the new regulations, travel businesses also hope that Hanoi will have more measures to support businesses in the direction of increasing the number of transit points and gathering points instead of only 5 points as at present. Director of Lalago Service Joint Stock Company Duong Van Tien proposed that Hanoi should quickly build more transit points on the outskirts of the Old Quarter, where large vehicles can stop and transfer passengers to small electric cars or mini buses into the Old Quarter area.
Agreeing with this proposal, Head of the Faculty of Tourism (East Asia University of Technology) Nguyen Duc Thang said that Hanoi should build a reasonable vehicle parking lot, the transit vehicles need to ensure quality and the team of drivers must meet customer service standards. “In addition, travel agencies also need to change by finding and using smaller vehicles that comply with the new regulations. Develop walking tour packages, cultural and culinary experience tours to attract tourists. There needs to be clear announcements about the new regulations and instructions for tourists so that they can plan their tours appropriately,” Mr. Nguyen Duc Thang suggested.
Meanwhile, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association Cao Thi Ngoc Lan said that central areas need to reduce emissions, so public services such as electric vehicles should be prioritized. In addition, these service operators should support tourism businesses by reducing fares for tourists when traveling from transit points to the Old Quarter or accommodation facilities. "This will help the tourism industry reduce logistics costs, increasing the competitive advantage of the capital's tourism industry," Ms. Cao Thi Ngoc Lan stated.
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/doanh-nghiep-du-lich-tim-cach-thich-ung.html
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