On a weekend at Ha Long International Passenger Port in Quang Ninh province, many tourists arrived to rent boats and explore the famous spots in Ha Long Bay.

Most chose to explore Ha Long Bay through the three traditional routes with different fees and durations (route 1 and route 2 with a fee of 250,000 VND/person, and route 3 with a fee of 200,000 VND/person, not including boat rental).

According to the proposal from Quang Ninh authorities, there will be three new experience-based routes with new fees. Among them, the 600,000 VND per person fee for a half-day visit to Ha Long Bay has garnered the most attention from locals and tourists alike.

Hoang Tien Toi, a 25-year-old tourist from Lang Son province, expressed excitement about the new routes and considered the 600,000 VND fee for a half-day visit to Ha Long Bay reasonable. "With a 600,000 VND fee covering all spots in Ha Long Bay, it's actually a bargain. Today, my friend and I spent 700,000 VND for route 2, including boat rental and lunch, but we only visited a few places," Toi said.

Le Hoang Hiep, a 52-year-old tourist from Hanoi, suggested that new routes and fees might confuse tourists if not communicated clearly. He emphasized that new routes need to be distinct. "For the 600,000 VND per person route, time allocation needs to be reasonable as half a day might not be enough to visit all the spots in Ha Long Bay," Hiep noted.

N.T.Đ, a tour guide in Ha Long City, shared that tourists are accustomed to paying for the traditional routes due to their convenience and time efficiency.

Currently just a proposal

Vu Kien Cuong, Head of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, clarified that the proposal to charge a fee for new experience-based routes is not an increase in the current fees. "This is about introducing three new experience-based routes with proposed fees," he explained.

The Ha Long Bay Management Board is currently seeking feedback on the proposed fees for new routes and itineraries to report to the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee before submitting it to the Provincial People's Council for approval.

"This effort aims to diversify the types and products of tourism to meet the growing demands of domestic and international tourists visiting Ha Long Bay," Cuong added.

The Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee has tasked the Ha Long Bay Management Board with proposing fees for three new routes: a luxury yacht exploration route, a coastal sightseeing and dining route, and a fixed route from Tuan Chau to Gia Luan (Cat Ba).

Specifically, the coastal sightseeing and dining route will have a fee ranging from 80,000 to 100,000 VND per person. The fixed route from Tuan Chau to Gia Luan (Cat Ba) proposes fees of 120,000 or 150,000 VND per person per trip.

The proposal for a half-day tour (from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM) to visit all five routes suggests a fee of 600,000 VND per adult and 480,000 VND per child. Children under 7 and people with disabilities would be exempt from the fee.

Pham Cong