International cruise tourism to Ha Long is gradually becoming more active again. In particular, the Bac Hai - Ha Long route not only contributes to "opening the door" to a large and potential market, but also creates a new itinerary for Vietnamese tourists.
The Bac Hai - Ha Long cruise route was once bustling since 1998. However, this route was later discontinued for various reasons. Fortunately, after about 16 years of interruption, this cruise route has just restarted in November 2024.
The smooth opening of this cruise route marks a good cooperative relationship between the two sides, especially with the tourism industry. After reconnecting, this cruise route has made two consecutive trips to visit Ha Long at the end of 2024 with a total of about 1,500 passengers.
Tourists on the route also love the destination's landscape, are excited about visiting the World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay along with many sightseeing itineraries and unique local cultural features. According to the Quang Ninh branch of Hon Gai Tourism and Service Joint Stock Company, the unit coordinating the reopening and exploitation of this route, the current package tour price for Chinese tourists on the Beihai - Ha Long - Beihai route ranges from 1,000-1,500 yuan, equivalent to about 3.5-5.3 million VND/person. This price only includes 2 nights' stay, meals on the ship and some other services. Tourists must pay for onshore expenses themselves.
However, according to the representative of the travel agency, this is a preferential price for tourists participating in the first trips. The actual cost may be higher. Mr. Nguyen Ha Hai, Director of the Company, commented: It is expected that this route will not only "warm up" cruise tourism connecting the two destinations but also create interesting products, opening up attractive cruises for tourists from both sides.
It is known that the parties will continue to discuss and strongly promote the operation of the route in the near future. In particular, during the peak period of November 2025, there will be 3 trips/week of the Bac Hai - Ha Long passenger ship. This is a good signal for the extension and promotion of the development prospects for this sea tourism route. To diversify and increase the attraction of the journey, the reception unit can expand the tour, route, and itinerary. Accordingly, in addition to Ha Long, the tour route for cruise passengers can expand the journey to Hanoi - Ninh Binh or can connect longer tours to Da Nang, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City... In fact, Hon Gai tourism and other travel agencies are very ready and have prepared many diverse tours to meet the needs of cruise passengers.
At the same time, with tour prices and regular itineraries expected to return soon, it will expand opportunities for Vietnamese tourists to participate in luxury tourism, to Beihai - one of the 10 most beautiful cities in China. Accordingly, Hon Gai Tourism is also discussing with partners to build a cruise tour of Ha Long - Beihai for Vietnamese tourists. However, it will study a longer tour, possibly 4 days 3 nights or 5 days 4 nights, including 2 nights on the ship and 1-2 nights on shore.
According to the assessment, this is promoting cruise tourism in general and connecting the journey to Bac Hai with many advantages. Because Vietnam currently has almost no cruise tourism products despite the large demand. In fact, to travel by cruise, tourists in Quang Ninh or other provinces in Vietnam must fly from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City to departure points such as China, Malaysia, Singapore or Europe to join the cruise... Meanwhile, China's policy on cruise tourism is currently very favorable. If tourists in Ha Long or coming to Ha Long take a cruise to Bac Hai or some international seaports of China, they will be exempted from visas and can travel quite deep into the mainland of the neighboring country.
Thus, strongly promoting this cruise tourism route not only opens up luxury tourism, but also contributes to promoting a new tourism product, reducing the load on the route, increasing the attraction and sustainability of future routes.
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