Vessels in Ha Long Carnival to perform, not to serve tourists: authority

This year’s carnival, scheduled to take place on April 28 evening, will be the first of its kind held at sea in Vietnam.

It will feature performances and parades on both the sea and beach of Ha Long Bay to highlight the beauty of this world natural heritage site at night.

The department noted on April 24 that as stipulated, in summer, tourist vessels must return passengers to ports and terminals in the mainland by 7 p.m. while those providing overnight services on the bay must dock at designated areas.

Except for floating restaurants, there aren't any night-time sightseeing tours.

The number of tourist vessels mobilized for the carnival is large, the areas they will operate in are natural waters, weather conditions are unpredictable, vessels will serve the festival until midnight, and passengers' activities on those vehicles during the event may pose safety risks.

Ensuring the safety of passengers on the ships will be limited, the department pointed out.

Therefore, it demanded the People’s Committee of Ha Long not license vessels performing at the carnival to serve travelers.

It also asked local authorities to strictly manage the vehicles transporting passengers to the mobilized vessels and others docking on the sea to watch the event.