Dong Bai - Cai Vieng ferry terminal has been expanded, with a year-round cable car, along with surrounding amenities such as electric buses, high-speed trains, etc. The transportation system to Cat Ba is increasingly convenient, making it the most attractive tourist destination in the North.
“Air - Water - Land - Iron” are all ready
The Dong Bai - Cai Vieng ferry terminal expansion project connecting the mainland with Cat Ba Island will be invested by the People's Committee of Cat Hai District, Hai Phong with nearly 100 billion VND, expected to help increase the capacity to pick up and drop off tourists to the island. This is just one of many routes to the island.
Previously, the National Assembly also approved the investment policy for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong high-speed railway project with a scale of nearly 8.4 billion USD. The event is expected to help open up unprecedented opportunities for trade and tourism between neighboring China and the city of red phoenix flowers.
Not only railways, Hai Phong in general, Cat Ba in particular, is opening all traffic doors: air - water - road, to welcome domestic and foreign tourists to experience the beauty of the world natural heritage bay.
By road, traveling to Cat Ba has never been easier thanks to the large-scale Hanoi - Hai Phong; Ninh Binh - Hai Phong; Lao Cai - Hai Phong expressways. The second best choice for international visitors and other regions is air travel (Cat Bi airport, Van Don airport). Currently, Cat Bi airport (Hai Phong) has opened direct flights to 9 of the busiest cities in and outside the country. Cat Bi is about to increase its capacity from the current 2 million passengers to 13 million passengers/year by 2030 and 18 million passengers/year by 2050.
Whether arriving in Hai Phong by rail, air or road, all visitors can quickly reach Cat Ba thanks to the sea ferry and cable car. In 2024, in order to ease the bottleneck of sea traffic, Hai Phong put into operation Dong Bai ferry terminal, along with a system of 5 newly built, spacious and modern ferries. In parallel, the cable car route with a travel time of 15 minutes is operated by Sun World all year round, helping to reduce waiting time for ferries.
Statistics from the cable car operator show that the number of passengers using the cable car in 2024 has tripled compared to the same period last year, and is increasingly popular with tourists because of its lack of congestion, fast travel time, and civilized and safe cabins. When arriving at the island, tourists continue to choose to travel by another "green" means of transport with no emissions, which is electric taxis.
Other waterway routes such as ships, high-speed canoes from Tuan Chau to Cat Ba, and high-speed boats from Ben Binh to Cai Vieng also provide tourists with more diverse options. Next April, the high-speed boat connecting the Heritage Bay is expected to operate, providing tourists with more options for travel and experiences throughout the journey. The high-speed boat route connecting Dong Bai Ferry Terminal - the center of Cat Ba Island - Ha Long is also preparing to open from next April.
Many tourists who love Cat Ba commented: "It seems that all roads lead to... Cat Ba". That is also the reason why the growth rate of visitors to Cat Ba in 2024 is up to 20% compared to the same period. Especially in more than 3.6 million visitors to Cat Ba, international visitors alone account for over 1 million.
According to data from the Department of Culture - Sports - Tourism of Cat Hai district, total revenue from accommodation and catering services in 2024 on Cat Ba island reached 3,354.5 billion VND, equivalent to 121.1% over the same period.
The latest data for January 2025 also shows that Cat Ba welcomed nearly 126,000 visitors, including more than 85,000 international visitors, an increase of more than 30% over the same period in 2024. Total tourism revenue is estimated at more than 110 billion VND.
“Greening” traffic, a springboard to attract high-quality customers
Not stopping at completing diverse infrastructure planning, Hai Phong also aims to build Cat Ba into the first green island with zero carbon emissions in Vietnam, by establishing a green transportation system on the island, to increasingly attract high-end guests and international guests staying long term.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Pham Trung Luong - Former Deputy Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, Cat Ba Island has developed a passenger electric car system and the Cat Hai - Phu Long cable car route, both of which are means to help reduce carbon emissions. This is also a methodical direction associated with sustainable development that many countries in the world are pursuing to focus on human responsibility for the environment, while attracting high-quality tourists and responsible tourism. For example, the "paradise island" Lamma, Hong Kong (China) is increasingly attracting high-quality tourists because it is always in the top of the world's most worth-exploring car-free islands.
“Cat Ba has begun to limit emission-emitting vehicles with the support of the tourism service business community and Sun Group. I hope Cat Ba will realize the goal of not accepting carbon-emitting motor vehicles to the island,” Associate Professor Dr. Pham Trung Luong shared.
Along with the implementation of the tourism project in the center of Cat Ba Island, the leading tourism investor Sun Group has announced a strategy to accompany the implementation of a green transportation system on Cat Ba Island. Developing a parking lot and charging electric vehicles right at Phu Long cable car station, Sun Group's electric bus system will be ready to operate to pick up passengers from the cable car station to the center of Cat Ba town during this year's summer tourist season. All travel in the central Cat Ba Bay area will be by electric buggy, bicycle or on foot.
According to the representative of Sun Group, when the Dong Bai - Cai Vieng ferry terminal expansion project is completed, this area will be able to receive 3 - 4 ferries of all types at the same time, and expand the road to and from Dong Bai and Cai Vieng ferries; at the same time, build a large-scale parking lot near the ferry terminal area, in order to properly implement the orientation of the Resolution on tasks and solutions for Hai Phong tourism development 2017-2020, orientation 2030 - determined to build Cat Ba island according to the model of an ecological, smart island, as a lever for tourism and Hai Phong economy to develop. Accordingly, Hai Phong will limit gasoline and diesel vehicles on Cat Ba island.
In the near future, guests staying on the island will have many green transportation options to explore the island such as electric buses, electric taxis, electric buggies... Convenient transportation will also help visitors remove the need to drive to the island to move, and become truly "responsible" tourists, contributing to the "greenness" of Cat Ba Island.
Le Thanh
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/giao-thong-thuan-loi-cat-ba-but-pha-du-lich-bon-mua-2383358.html
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