The transfer is expected to be completed this November. Accordingly, the Quang Ninh Department of Transport will be the main management agency for more than 500 tourist boats in Ha Long Bay, in which, the construction of new boats and replacement boats will be decided by this unit.
Previously, ship owners who wanted to build new or replace ships were required to have written approval from the Ha Long City People's Committee.
Before 2015, the Quang Ninh Department of Transport was assigned to state management of tourist boats in Ha Long Bay.
However, on November 25, 2015, the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province issued Decision No. 3736/QD-UBND on transferring the State management function for Ha Long Bay from the Ha Long Bay Management Board to the Ha Long City People's Committee. Accordingly, the functions, tasks, organizational structure, payroll, personnel, facilities, funding and related contents of the Ha Long Bay Management Board were transferred to the Ha Long City People's Committee from December 1, 2015.
Immediately after that, the Chairman of the Ha Long City People's Committee was also appointed to concurrently hold the position of Head of the Ha Long Bay Management Board; at the same time, the management of tourist boats on Ha Long Bay was transferred from the Quang Ninh Department of Transport to the Ha Long City People's Committee.
By August 2023, Quang Ninh will stop the model of the Chairman of the Ha Long City People's Committee concurrently holding the position of Head of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, and at the same time, the Ha Long City People's Committee will also cease its role as State manager of Ha Long Bay.
On October 8, 2024, the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province issued Regulations on measures to manage the operation of inland waterway vehicles serving tourists in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, in which the Quang Ninh Department of Transport is assigned to manage all tourist boats in Ha Long Bay.
