From the beginning of 2026 to now, 14 tourist boats of units operating on the Son La hydropower lake (belonging to Quynh Nhai commune, Son La province) have had to temporarily suspend operations due to not being inspected and not fully meeting the technical conditions according to regulations.
Ships that are not exploited cause investors to lose revenue, while billion-dong assets are still exposed to sun and rain. Prolonged anchoring time also causes ships to degrade, and maintenance and repair costs increase.
Mr. Nguyen Manh Tuan - Director of Pauon Ecolakes eco-tourism area - informed that the unit is exploiting eco-tourism, culinary and experiential services in Binh Yen Bay. Lake tour boats are one of the important products attracting tourists.
The unit has invested in 3 tourist boats with a total cost of nearly 4.5 billion VND. However, from March 2026, vehicles must stop operating because they do not meet the conditions for registration and inspection procedures.
“We want to develop tourism associated with preserving the majestic and pristine natural beauty of the lake. But when the boat had to stop operating, many items showed signs of degradation, and the number of visitors also decreased by about 90% compared to before,” Mr. Tuan shared.
According to Mr. Pham Van Doanh - Director of Quynh Nhai Tourism Investment and Development Co., Ltd., boats are an important means to take tourists to visit and connect destinations on the lake surface. Having to stay ashore causes businesses to lose revenue, while still having to bear investment and maintenance costs.
We hope that levels, sectors and functional agencies will soon pay attention to and guide the removal of obstacles so that businesses can complete the necessary conditions and bring ships back into operation" - Mr. Doanh said.
Regarding this issue, Mr. Tong Xuan Truong - Vice Chairman of Quynh Nhai Commune People's Committee - said that the locality is orienting to turn tourism into an economic driving force, aiming to build Quynh Nhai into a provincial-level tourist area in the period 2021-2030, with a focus on exploiting the lake area's potential.
Currently, Quynh Nhai has formed 9 destinations such as Uy Phong Bay, Binh Yen Bay, Pauon Ecolakes eco-tourism area, Trai Tim island, Da Giang island... In which, waterway passenger transport plays an important role in connecting tourist destinations.
However, the fact that 14 ships have to stay ashore is directly affecting the product exploitation and business process of the units.
According to Mr. Truong, the locality hopes that functional agencies will soon have guidance and solutions to remove obstacles regarding the operating conditions of waterway vehicles, creating conditions for businesses and people to stabilize production and business, and effectively exploit tourism potential.
From the above reality, Quynh Nhai commune proposed to study appropriate mechanisms for inland waterway vehicles operating at hydropower reservoirs and freshwater reservoirs with special conditions.
Along with that, there need to be specific instructions for vehicle owners to clearly identify items that need to be supplemented and completed to meet safety requirements and bring ships back into operation.
In the context of Quynh Nhai aiming to make tourism a driving force for development, early removal of obstacles related to waterway vehicles is an urgent requirement to unlock the potential of the reservoir area.
