Many Vietnamese tourist groups stuck in Shanghai due to storm Bebinca

The car carrying the Vietnamese delegation to Pudong airport on the afternoon of September 16.

Minh An, tour guide for a group of 22 Vietnamese tourists who went on a tour of Shanghai - Hangzhou - Wuzhen from September 11, said that the original schedule to return to Hanoi was September 15 but was postponed to September 17 because the flight was delayed due to Typhoon Bebinca. The typhoon hit Shanghai but the situation in the downtown area was not too bad, and tourists could still go out to buy essentials. The hotel lost power at some points.

A travel agency in Hanoi sent a group of 24 tourists to Shanghai on September 15 and stayed in the hotel until the afternoon of September 16. The group was safe but had limited experience because tourist attractions in Shanghai were closed to avoid the storm. The agency representative said they were closely monitoring the weather to come up with a plan to ensure the safety of the group. The group's remaining itinerary included Hangzhou - Suzhou - Beijing - destinations that were not much affected by Typhoon Bebinca.

The group was originally scheduled to arrive in Hangzhou on September 16, but this was canceled due to safety concerns. Because the hotel in Hangzhou refused to cancel the room, the company had to accept the loss of this fee and rent a hotel in Shanghai for the group to stay until September 16.

Typhoon Bebinca made landfall in Shanghai on the morning of September 16 with winds of more than 151 km/h, the strongest storm to sweep through China's financial center since 1949.

Local authorities have issued a red alert as strong winds and torrential rains batter the region, urging residents to stay indoors. Highways have been closed and coastal residents have been evacuated. Hundreds of flights have been canceled at the city’s two airports, Hongqiao and Pudong, since the night of September 15. Shanghai Railway Station has also suspended some train services. Outdoor events and major tourist attractions, such as Shanghai Disney, have also been suspended.

Do Minh Tu, the tour guide leading the group of 52 guests, said that the group's return to Hanoi on the afternoon of September 16 was delayed by two hours, from 3:50 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. Since they arrived in Shanghai on September 12, the group's schedule was not much affected by Typhoon Bebinca. The show "Thien Co Tinh" on September 15 was moved up 1.5 hours due to traffic restrictions. However, the visit to the Jade Buddha Temple on the morning of September 16 was canceled.

Anh Tu said that on the morning of September 16, the wind was still very strong and there was heavy rain, but the constructions and architecture in the center of Shanghai were almost unaffected. At Pudong Airport on the afternoon of September 16, planes landed normally and the number of passengers waiting to leave Shanghai was "very large".

Vietravel Tourism Company has 18 tourist groups in China, 5 groups of about 100 tourists scheduled to visit Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou. Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Director of Marketing Department of Vietravel, said all 5 groups are safe and the company is coordinating with partners and local authorities to return to Vietnam earlier than the original schedule. The groups are temporarily suspending their tours and staying at their accommodation facilities. The company has 19 groups about to depart for China and is monitoring the developments of storm Bebinca to make the next decision.

Shanghai street on the morning of September 16

Viet Travel Media Joint Stock Company currently has a group scheduled to visit Shanghai on September 19 and is planning to change the itinerary or replace it with another destination because of concerns that the storm's impact will continue.

For groups about to depart for Shanghai, the company continues to monitor the situation to coordinate with partners. A representative of Du Lich Viet said that China Southern Airlines has announced support for reserving and rescheduling tickets for flights that have been canceled or delayed due to the storm. This is the airline chosen by many travel agencies for the journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Shanghai and Beijing. Local travel partners also committed to flexibly adjusting the length of stay without charging penalties, so the company plans to discuss directly with customers to find a safe option for departure.

TH (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/nhieu-doan-khach-viet-ket-o-thuong-hai-vi-bao-bebinca-393248.html