Seven Seas Explorer anchored at Nha Trang port (Photo: VNA) According to the General Statistics Office, in March, international arrivals toVietnam by sea rose more than 2.8 times, as compared to the previous month. Inthe first three months of the year, Vietnam welcomed 33,700 cruise passengers,up 936.3 times higher year on year.
Since the beginning of 2023, many cruise ships carriedthousands of international tourists to localities across Vietnam, including NhaTrang, Da Nang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, and Quang Ninh.
Recently, the high-end Italian-flagged cruise ship MSCPoesia, with 2,145 European passengers onboard, arrived in Nha Trang City onApril 1. The vessel departed from Hong Kong (China) and then sailed to Da Nang,Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Khanh Hoa province has welcomed five cruise vessels sincethe beginning of this year. The province is expected to greet two more cruiseships this April and about 20 between now to the year-end.
In late February, Spectrum of the Seas, one of the world'stop ten most luxurious cruise ships, docked at Tan Cang-Cai Mep port in TanPhuoc ward, Phu My town, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.
Besides 1,577 crewmembers and serving personnel, the shipcarried more than 3,800 foreign tourists, most of them from the US, the UK,Australia, and Singapore. This was the 7th international cruise ship and theone that carried the largest number of tourists to make landfall in BaRia-Vung Tau so far this year.
Quantum of the Seas carries foreign tourists to Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA) This year, the world-class Royal Caribbean Cruises has addedmore destinations in Vietnam to the Spectrum of the Seas’ itinerary. Thecruise will allow passengers to visit Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue and DaNang on different itineraries. Hue and Da Nang are newly-added destinations inthe Tokyo - Singapore itinerary, which will depart in September and October 2023.
According to Vietnam's tourism development strategy in 2020,with a vision to 2030, the country is giving priority to developing sea andisland tourism. Vietnam has a favourable geographical position on the regionalmaritime route. The country also boasts a coastline of 3,260km, with more than4,000 islands and many famous scenic spots, as well as time-honoured historicaland cultural sites.
The famous beach resorts in Vietnam such as those in Ha Long- Cat Ba, Son Tra - Hoi An, Nha Trang - Cam Ranh, Phan Thiet - Mui Ne, and PhuQuoc, can compete against other coastal resorts in the region and Asia inluring cruise passengers.
Famous beach resorts in Vietnam such as those in Ha Long -Cat Ba, Son Tra - Hoi An, Nha Trang - Cam Ranh, Phan Thiet - Mui Ne, and PhuQuoc, can compete against other coastal resorts in the region and Asia inluring cruise passengers.
A survey by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) showedthat cruise tourism generates 40% higher revenue than travel by air or by road.This is also the reason why cruise tourism is favoured and fully exploited bydeveloped countries around the world. UNWTO forecasts that cruise tourism willbetter recover in 2023 when the COVID-19 pandemic is placed under control.
Although Vietnam has many advantages to developing cruisetourism, some difficulties remain to hinder the development of this type oftourism, according to participants at a seminar on developing Vietnam's seaand island tourism which was jointly held by the Ministry of Culture, Sportsand Tourism, and the Vietnam Tourism Association in December 2022.
Experts pointed out the lack of ports to host cruise ships,experienced human resources to serve high-paying tourists, and communicationactivities to promote cruise tourism.
Therefore, they called on coastal localities to developpolicies to encourage businesses to invest in seaport infrastructure and designnew tourist products to better serve cruise passengers. They also stressed theimportance of a development strategy and master plan for developing sea andisland tourism./.
VNA
