The veto of kayaking tours came about after persistent complaints they were overpriced and were giving the destination a negative image. Another reason was that about 75 per cent of the bay’s 1,400 kayaks are transported on cruise boats and this is a possible fire risk.
Halong Bay kayak operators claim they were only given three days warning of the impending ban and did not have enough time to change itineraries already sold. Instead of the ban, tourism officials in Halong have been tasked with setting up regulations to control the operations of kayaking companies and other activities providers.
Halong Bay is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site and about 150kms by road from the Vietnamese capital city, Hanoi. 12GO ASIA provides advance reservations services for taxis between the two locations.
Quang Ninh refloats kayaking tours in Halong Bay
News in Asia
Quang Ninh provincial authorities have backpedalled and scrapped an arbitrary ban on kayaking in Halong Bay. The ban on the activity in the northern Vietnam tourist hotspot was lifted barely one week after it came into effect on the 1 April.