Halong bay raises fees

QUANG NINH Quang Ninh has set new sightseeing fees for Halong Bay effective 1 April.

Local media reported that new fees for sightseeing routes in Halong and Bai Tu Long Bays will range from VND200,000 to VND250,000 (USD9 to USD11) per route.

Previously, visitors paid an entrance fee of VND120,000 (USD5.27) and additional fees for each single site they visited, ranging from VND30,000 to VND50,000 (USD1.32 to USD2.2) per one site.

The fees for boat transport and overnight accommodation services in Halong Bay will range from VND500,000 to VND750,000 (USD22 to USD33) per person, double the old levels of VND200,000 (USD9) for one night, VND350,000 (USD15) for two nights,  and VND400,000 (USD18) for three nights.

In addition, Halong City banned kayak boat rentals on Halong Bay from 1 April.

Paddling a kayak through the half submerged limestone karst landforms scattered across the bay was a favorite activity for visitors to Halong, leading to a boom in kayak tours – many of which operated without an approved business licence.

Kayaking was omitted from the province’s heritage conservation plan for Halong in 2015 to 2020, prompting authorities to put an end to the activity.

The ban also seeks to protect tourists from kayak tour operators who failed to list their service prices, or over charged tourists.

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