Previously, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ninh province had a document requesting to put traditional three-walled boat products into operation to serve tourists.
After consideration, Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee agreed with the proposal of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, approving the policy of bringing three-walled boat products operating along the coast belonging to the coastal route of Ha Long Bay, which was announced by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision 2119/QD-UBND dated July 19, 2024 on announcing sightseeing and tourism routes on Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.
Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Construction to direct the Waterway Port Authority and Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Vehicle Registration to be responsible for inspecting and only licensing operations when ensuring full conditions on registration, inspection, safety equipment according to regulations, installing GPS tracking devices connected to management agencies; ensuring compliance with safety regulations for passengers on vehicles and disaster prevention and search and rescue plans, ensuring regulations.
Departments, agencies, branches, and units: Culture, Sports and Tourism, Construction, Provincial Police, Ha Long Bay - Yen Tu World Heritage Management Board, Ward People's Committee (Hong Gai, Ha Long) shall, based on their functions and tasks, perform management work, ensure safety, security, order, and environment, regularly guide and inspect the implementation of regulations on vehicle conditions, inland waterway traffic safety; coordinate to manage passenger transport activities according to their authority, ensure safety, security, order and environmental protection according to regulations; promptly report to the Provincial People's Committee on contents beyond their authority (if any).
Three-walled sailboats are a unique tradition of Quang Ninh - sails can be used to run against the wind. Currently, 3 of the 10 three-walled sailboats project are being test-run along the coast of Ha Long Bay and are receiving special attention from people and tourists.
According to this special tour opening project, the route runs along the coast of Ha Long Bay, about 12km long, in which the starting point is at the pick-up and drop-off point at the Waterway Passenger Transport Joint Stock Company's Port Area (Ha Long 1 market area, Hong Gai ward) passing through Cot 5 beach area (Ha Long ward) and then circling back to the Waterway Passenger Transport Joint Stock Company's Port Area.
Regarding frequency, based on the assessment of the characteristics of the demand for sightseeing and tourism time on the route, the operating frequency is fixed at 6 trips/day, each trip is 1 hour/trip.
Regarding operating hours during the day: Flight 1 from 8:00 AM, flight 2 from 9:00 AM, flight 3 from 10:00 AM, flight 4 starting at 2:00 PM, flight 5 starting at 3:00 PM, flight 6 from 4:00 PM.
Each boat will carry a maximum of 12 passengers and 2 crew members each time.
However, the unit with the project to exploit this product proposed that, because this is a special product to honor and preserve the traditional craft - the sailing craft of the province, as well as create products at reasonable costs to serve people's livelihoods and develop tourism, there should be no tourism fee for visitors to the bay for this tour.
At the same time, limit the number of vehicles and participating units to ensure business efficiency for pioneering investors, as well as ensure management for this new product type.
