The number of foreign tourists coming to HCM City on cruise ships remains relatively low because of a lack of ports for cruise ships, according to tourism experts.
Saigontourist Travel Service company welcomes passengers on the World Dream cruise ship, which arrived at Tân Cảng-Cái Mép Port in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province last month. — Photo saigontourist.net
Many cruise ships have to dock at the neighbouring province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu because of the lack of harbours in the city.
Phú Mỹ Bridge across the Sài Gòn River has a vertical clearance of 45 metres, allowing only small ships with a capacity of fewer than 1,000 passengers.
Large ships carrying thousands of passengers have to dock at Rau Quả, Navi Oil, and Hiệp Phước ports which are too busy receiving container ships, their major function. There is no space for cruise ships at these ports.
Large cruise ships have to anchor at Bà Rịa- Vũng Tàu Province and cruise passengers must travel by bus to HCM City.
Earlier last month, Saigontourist Travel Service company welcomed 3,600 passengers on the World Dream cruise ship, which arrived at Tân Cảng-Cái Mép Port in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province.
Passengers left the port by bus for a brief visit to HCM City before leaving for the coastal city of Nha Trang in the south-central province of Khánh Hòa.
Phan Xuân Anh, chairman of Viet Excursions, said that thousands of passengers would spend more money if large cruise ships stayed overnight in HCM City.
If cruise ships dock at Bà Rịa- Vũng Tàu, they visit HCM City and leave within a day, Anh said.
Võ Anh Tài, deputy general director of Saigontourist, said that last year the company received 210 cruise ships visiting HCM City, Bà Rịa- Vũng Tàu, Đà Nẵng, Nha Trang, Thừa Thiên-Huế and Hạ Long, with more than 400,000 tourists and crew members, an increase of 30 per cent compared to the previous year.
Besides a lack of cruise ports, travel-related services such as tax-free shops, money-exchange stores as well as entertainment and shopping centres should be created or improved to offer cruise passengers more spending options, Tài said.
Lã Quốc Khánh, deputy director of the city’s Department of Tourism, underscored the rising trend in cruise tourism around the world.
He said the lack of ports with sufficient capacity to serve large ships was due to a failure in cooperation between the Ministry of Transport and local authorities.
The city’s cruise industry would enjoy strong growth if the shortage of cruise ports and travel-related services are resolved, according to Khánh. — VNS