Tourists to Ha Long Bay will have to pay double for cruise terminal
The only tourist wharf in Ha Long Bay has announced to double the entrance fee for visitors to the famous destination to around US$2 starting May 28.
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Tuan Chau Corporation, which manages Tuan Chau Wharf, said tourists who want to take a cruise trip on Ha Long and the nearby Bai Tu Long Bay will have to pay VND40,000 (US$1.76) for a ticket.
This entrance fee does not cover the expenses for their trip afterward but tourists will be offered free water and Wi-Fi at the terminal.
The current fee is VND20,000, which was only introduced last November, several months after the wharf opened and replaced the degrading Bai Chay.
The terminal can handle about 2,000 boats, 10 times more than the old one, and it can receive large vessels.
Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO heritage, and Bai Tu Long to the northeast, are popular destinations in northern Vietnam and the main attractions in Quang Ninh Province, which drew 8.3 million tourists last year, 42% of them foreigners.
Last month, the bay managers bundled many attractions together, forcing tourists to pay more for a full package. Many visitors were upset and some just canceled their trip as they just wanted to visit a couple of places.
