Vietnam’s coastline busy with sea tourists (2008 Vietnam tourism year)

Vietnam welcomed 300,000 foreign tourists from international cruise ships in 2007, compared to 224,000 visitors in 2006.

The Saigontourist alone received 44,000 cruise tourists, a year-on-year increase of 2.5 times, including 1,700 holiday makers from SuperStar Libra after a three-year hiatus. The ship resumed its trip to Ha Long Bay in northern Quang Ninh province once a week since last December.

The year 2008 opened with the five-star Costa Allegra ship anchoring at the Sai Gon port with 1,350 tourists and cruise members on board. The cruise also arrived in Tien Sa port to visit Hoi An ancient town and other sightseeing places in central Da Nang city.

According to Deputy Director of the Da Nang Tourism Department Nguyen Dang Truong, the city expects to receive over 10,000 tourists on board 17 cruise liners in the year’s first quarter and a total of 28,000 tourists by sea for the whole year.

Also the US “Rhapsody of the Seas” cruise on January 12 brought nearly 2,000 foreign tourists to visit Ha Long Bay after it had docked at Nha Trang port in central Khanh Hoa province and Chan May port in central Thua Thien-Hue province.

The cruise plans to organise eight tours with a total 8,000 tourists on board to Ha Long Bay, one of the world’s heritage sites, in the first quarter of 2008.

However, the sea tourism’s development does not match its potential with a number of existing shortcomings being identified at a workshop held last month in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh.

According to Hoang Anh Tuan, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, low quality services, shortage of means of transportation and ports are the biggest problems, leading to short-term stays by foreign cruises, and holiday makers do not have enough time to enjoy beautiful landscapes of Vietnam.

To push up sea tourism, Vietnam will promote ties with the world’s large ship liners and map out a master plan on the country’s well-known sea tourism sites and consider visa exemption policy for sea tourists.

Boasting big and small seaports along its 3,000km coastline with beautiful scenery, friendly people and diversified culture, Vietnam is capable of becoming a hot destination for international cruise travellers.

(Source: VNA)