A cruise ship docks at a port in Ba Rịa-Vung Tau province. (Photo: VNA) Ba Ria – Vung Tau (VNS/VNA) - With cruise ships visiting Ba Ria –Vung Tau having to dock at cargo ports, the southern province plans tobuild a new facility to serve cruise ships that bring cash-rich touriststo its shores.
Since 2008, an increasing number of international cruise ships have visited theprovince, which is located near seaport centres such as Hong Kong, Singapore,and Shanghai, and is a convenient spot that connects theitineraries of cruise ship operators.
A representative of OSC Vietnam Travel Company, which welcomes cruiseships to the province, told Dau tu (Investment Review)newspaper that cruise ships in the area were mainly from Europe, theUS, Australia and Asia.
These include luxury ships such as the 5-star Spectrum of the Seas, whichcarries nearly 6,500 passengers and crew members, and the 5-star Voyager of TheSeas, which accommodates 5,800 guests and crew members.
Though it receives a large number of cruise ship tourists, the provincedoes not have a dedicated port for cruise ships and the giant vesselshave to dock at the cargo ports of the Cai Mep - Phu My cargo portsystem. As a result, travel companies and tourists face manyinconveniences.
In addition, giant vessels are not always able to dock at the cargo portsbecause they are filled with cargo ships and there is no room for cruiseships to berth, according to industry insiders.
The provincial People’s Committee has assigned the Department of Transport andother agencies to conduct research to identify a suitable site for anew port for international cruise ships to dock in Vung Tau city.
The department is responsible for creating a zoning plan for aninternational passenger port in the Sao Mai – Ben Dinh area (on an area of 21ha) and Vung Tau Marina City. The deadline for completion ofthe 1/500 and 1/2000 zoning plans is in August next year.
While waiting for the zoning plan, many investors from the US and Europe haveconducted surveys and worked with authorities, expressing their desire to investor cooperate with the province in building the international passenger port.
One investor has committed to invest during the 2020-2021 period tobuild an international passenger wharf which would be put it intooperation in 2022.
Nguyen Hong Linh, the provincial Party Committee Secretary, said that investorswere told that the wharf was suitable for development of the province’stourism industry.
The international passenger wharf, together with a complex of restaurants andshopping centres, would contribute to the development of thetourism industry and be an impressive “check-in” destination forinternational visitors in Vietnam.
At the same time, the international passenger wharf would help theprovince fully exploit its tourism and commercial advantages, bringingsignificant revenue to the province’s budget, and creating favourableconditions for local workers to access new and high-grade tourism services./.
VNA
