A woman rides past the deserted Ha Long international passenger port in the eponymous town.
After more than a month without new cases, Quang Ninh lifted the swimming ban and reopened tourist destinations, relics, historical sites, and golf courses on June 8, but imposed a ban on visitors from outside.
Provincial authorities, who had earlier cut Ha Long Bay entry ticket prices by 50 percent, last week decided to make it free until the year-end to stimulate domestic tourism. Before the pandemic, tickets to Ha Long Bay used to cost VND250,000 ($10.86) a person.
Inside the passenger terminal, port staff sit in the absence of visitors.
The passenger terminal entered commercial operation in 2018.
The disembarkation area has no tourists. Many cruise ships are still not ready to resume operations due to slow travel demand.
Tuan Chau Wharf, where all Ha Long Bay cruise ships and boats dock, is left deserted during the supposed peak summer holiday season.
"Currently, the province bans receiving visitors from outside, so it’s common to see crowds vanish from popular tourist attractions across Ha Long," said Tuan, a local.
The two-kilometer-long road from National Highway 18 to Tuan Chau Wharf is virtually deserted.
Since its recognition as a UNESCO natural world heritage in 1994, Ha Long Bay has found a spot on the global tourism map, with travel bloggers and filmmakers hailing its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone pillars topped by rainforests.
Inside the terminal, some ship owners take a nap. According to Ha Long Bay Management Board, in recent days, the bay only received about 30-50 passengers per day.
At Bai Chay tourist area, some restaurants have resumed operation but there are almost no customers.
Without tourists, hundreds of cruise ships have remained anchored. Last week, the owners of 500 cruise ships submitted a petition to the government for support, stating they are on the verge of bankruptcy.
