The policy, effective from July 10 to September 30, was introduced amidst a sharp decline in foreign tourists, the major customer source of cruise ships operating on the bay due to the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.
The ships have operated by only 10 percent of their capacity.
In the first six months of this year, Quang Ninh welcomed nearly 4.2 million visitors, but including only 491,000 foreigners, equivalent to 17 percent of that in the same period last year.
Earlier in mid-May, Quang Ninh launched a package of 200 billion VND to support tourism sector. The locality opened for free all tourist sites on Ha Long for all tourists, excluding those who used overnight services in cruise ships at the bay.
Bui Cong Hoan, Vice Chairman of the Ha Long Cruise Lines Association lauded the local government’s support. He showed his hope that commercial banks will extend the interest payment time for their loans, helping them avoid going bankrupted.
VNA/VNP
