Businesses and tourism experts are worried about the fact that there will be no common management board for the world natural heritage complex of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba.
After Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh) and Cat Ba Archipelago (Hai Phong) were recognized by UNESCO as world natural heritage sites on September 16, many tourism professionals raised the issue of the need for a joint management board. However, according to the Department of Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), this has not happened. Hai Phong authorities previously confirmed the same.
Responding to VnExpress , many tourism experts and travel businesses are worried about this information. Mr. Bui Thanh Tu, Marketing Director of Best Price, said that from the perspective of businesses and tourists, the general management board will eliminate the "blocking of rivers and banning markets" situation that has existed for many years between Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha (belonging to Cat Ba archipelago). There will be new sightseeing routes when the "bay is open", bringing more attractive experiences to tourists.
In addition, if the route is open, ships with the Hai Phong code can go deep into Tuan Chau port or some other ports in Quang Ninh to pick up passengers. Currently, ship owners have to use tenders (a type of small boat) to transport passengers from Tuan Chau port to the waters bordering Ha Long and Lan Ha bays to take passengers to larger ships.
Fishing boats parked close together on Ha Long Bay. Photo: Khai Phong
Mr. Thanh, a boat owner in both Ha Long and Lan Ha bays, is concerned about the situation of "more people, more laws" if there is no common management board.
At a press conference on October 5, Mr. Trinh Van Tu, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hai Phong City, said that the entrance fee to Lan Ha Bay will be raised to the same level as Ha Long Bay. Currently, the entrance fee to Lan Ha Bay is 80,000 VND, while the entrance fee to Ha Long Bay is 200,000 to 250,000 VND (depending on the route). The overnight fee on Lan Ha Bay is from 250,000 VND to 500,000 VND, while the entrance fee to Ha Long Bay is 550,000 VND to 750,000 VND per person.
"Hai Phong City's increase in Lan Ha Bay entrance fees will cause damage to businesses," said Mr. Thanh, who hopes a joint management board will come up with a "more reasonable" entrance fee.
According to the ship owner, many customers have booked sightseeing and overnight stays on the ship a year in advance. If Hai Phong suddenly increases sightseeing fees, the company will have to cover the loss. On the other hand, investment in infrastructure in Lan Ha Bay is "not commensurate" with the fee increase, which is "most clearly" demonstrated by the fact that cruise ships operating in the bay do not have berths, and often have to anchor at the border between Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay to wait for customers to tender.
Therefore, Mr. Thanh said "a general management board is really needed" to control the cost of future tours and sightseeing.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pham Ha, Chairman of Lux Group, a unit specializing in 5-star yacht services, said that there are currently many different departments and agencies managing the bay, which need to be brought under one control to avoid overlap.
Cruise on Lan Ha Bay (Hai Phong). Photo: Heritage Cruises
Mr. Phan Dinh Hue, an expert on destination development and tourism in the Mekong Delta, commented that the story of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago is similar to what is happening in the Mekong Delta. Many tourists to the Mekong Delta commented that "visiting one province, you will see the whole region" because the tourism products of the localities are similar, not attracting visitors to stay long and learn.
"Resources may be the same but product development must be different. You can't visit fruit gardens, go boating on the river, or sing traditional music everywhere," said Mr. Hue.
According to this expert, tourists see Cat Ba archipelago and Ha Long Bay as a large tourist area with islands and resources that have common characteristics. The division of administrative boundaries is a matter for management, not something tourists care about. What tourists need is to "travel a lot, see a lot".
Mr. Hue said Vietnam needs to develop tourism based on the characteristics of each region's resources. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the agency behind the success of Thailand's tourism industry since its establishment in 1979, is responsible for researching and monitoring the travel behavior of international visitors to help Thailand develop separate promotional programs for each market. TAT also has 45 offices across Thailand, focusing on promoting and developing each separate region such as Southern Thailand, Central Thailand, Northeast Thailand, Northern Thailand, and Eastern Thailand.
From Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba, Mr. Hue said that it is necessary to soon have a regional destination development center to build a common brand and develop products to avoid duplication and boredom.
Tu Nguyen
Source link
Comment (0)