The leader of Cat Hai District People's Committee said that kayaking activities in the bays of Cat Ba archipelago in recent times have been spontaneous, not ensuring operating conditions according to legal regulations, potentially causing risks to the safety of tourists and security and order.
Therefore, businesses, organizations and individuals are required to stop providing this service until they ensure operating conditions according to the provisions of law.
The Management Board of bays in Cat Ba archipelago will strengthen propaganda, inspection and close supervision of kayaking activities in bays in Cat Ba archipelago to promptly detect and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to handle according to regulations.
Cat Ba National Park is developing a tourism, ecological resort and entertainment project for the water surface in three areas: Cua Cai - Minh Tu, Van Ta, Ba Dinh. Information about the water recreation and entertainment areas will be announced in the near future.
The suspension of kayaking activities in the bay may affect the tourist experience, especially during the peak international tourist season of Vietnam's tourism industry. Currently, most visitors to Lan Ha Bay, Ha Long Bay, and Bai Tu Long Bay will participate in outdoor activities such as swimming, kayaking... in addition to the dining and sightseeing experiences on cruise ships.
The CEO of a cruise ship business in Lan Ha Bay said that he had to immediately inform customers that kayaking activities were suspended. This caused some tourists to decide to shorten their trips from two nights to one night. Some customers who had not yet booked a tour were considering changing their travel destination.
Sharing with Lao Dong, a representative of the Lan Ha Bay Yacht Association said that stopping kayaking will have long-term impacts.
If the kayaking suspension continues for a long time, it could affect the competitiveness and attractiveness of Lan Ha Bay. The lack of this experience could cause many tourists to cancel their trips to Lan Ha Bay and switch to other tourist destinations. This could cause damage to tourism revenue for the local economy and businesses, reducing the income of workers.
"In fact, it is necessary to have a planning area that allows kayaking activities. In the immediate future, we hope that the authorities will have temporary solutions while waiting for the development of projects according to regulations. We hope that the People's Committee of Cat Hai district as well as the authorities will continue to allow businesses to organize kayaking and commit to taking responsibility," he said.
