Investment, better legal framework needed for cruise growth

Phạm Hà, CEO of Lux Group, said the port system from Hải Phòng to HCM City was poor quality and could not handle giant luxury or middle class cruise ships.

Hà said his own ship in Hạ Long Bay needs permissions from  一 八 local authorities to offer on-board night-stay service, while the group’s Emperor Cruise in Nha Trang had to get an international travel certificate to host dinner on board as ordered by the local tourism authority.

He explained that tourists on his cruise had to transship to visit Lan Hạ Bay in neighbouring Hải Phòng after finishing a tour in Bái Tử Long in Hạ Long Bay of Quảng Ninh province.

Hà said a one-stop procedure and GPS control given by port authorities of Quảng Ninh and Hải Phòng can help cruises exchange tour service at both bays.  

Vũ Văn Đảo, director of Vũng Tàu Marina, a ship building company, said his company had to close in  二0 二0 due to regulations on ship management and registration.

He said his  二0-seat ships using Copolymer Polypropylene Polystone (PPC) from Europe were not registered for operation as no regulations on new materials for ship building existed.

Đảo said his new double-hull sailing boat design was used for hosting sailing festivals, but was refused by the local industrial park management board. 

Flexible and quick responses are needed from local administrations to support the tourism business, he said.

Phạm Ngọc Thủy, director of Quảng Ninh provincial department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said every local destination should build their own unique product that would help keep cruise visitors in Việt Nam longer.