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Kayak tours to be suspended on Ha Long Bay
  • | dtinews.vn | March 30, 2017 04:43 PM
 >>  Vessels banned for Ha Long Bay safety violations
Kayak services will be halted on Ha Long Bay from April 1 according to new a decision by the city's authorities.
 
According to the Ha Long City People's Committee, the number of kayak tours operated by overnight vessels in Ha Long Bay have recently sharply increased despite lacking licences.

The people’s committee claimed that tours were charging too much or that crew were off on the kayak tours raising safety concerns over the vessels.

However, the decision, which was issued on March 29, faces opposition from many vessel companies which operate overnight service on the bay.

Some members of the Ha Long Kayak Club said that kayaking is one of a few interesting activities that attract lots of foreign tourists in Ha Long Bay. This is also a safe service.

"Without kayaking, tourists to Ha Long Bay can only sightsee from their boat, visit the caves and then go to sleep," a member of the club said.

Ha Long City People's Committee recently suspended and banned many wooden tourist cruise boats in Ha Long and Bai Tu Long bays. Their action was carried out following rising number boat fires in Ha Long Bay in recent years, which they claimed had affected the province’s reputation among tourists.

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