In recent time, cruise
tourists visiting Nha Trang have risen. Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa is
improving infrastructures as well as services for cruise tourism.
According to the statistics of Cruise
Line International Association (CLIA), 460 cruise trips of many cruise
ship firms came to Vietnam, carrying about 500,000 tourists. Therefore,
Vietnam has become the fourth most favorite destination for cruise
tourism in Asia. Hong Kong-based Princess Cruises forecasts that its
tourists to Vietnam will rise by 40% in 2018. The number of cruise
tourists visiting Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa also has increased recently.
Khanh Hoa Province received over 50,000 cruise tourists in the first
seven months of 2018, increasing by 9% year-on-year, reported the
provincial Department of Tourism.
Phan Dinh Thao, director of
Saigontourist in Nha Trang, said that cruise tourists from Europe have
backed to Nha Trang as a destination in their trip. Besides, Focus
Travel is selling tour of Dream Cruise ship of Genting Cruise Lines
(Singapore). Joyce Toh, an sales agent of Genting Cruise Lines, said
that via the partner Focus Travel, Genting Cruise Lines hopes that
Vietnamese tourists will be interested in their cruise tours.
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Tourism experts also consider that Nha
Trang – Khanh Hoa has a big potential to serve international cruise
ship as well as tourists.
According to the planning to develop
sea ports in Vietnam till 2020 and view to 2030 adopted by the Prime
Minister, Nha Trang Port will become a tourist port. Up to now, the
provincial People’s Committee has chosen the investor to do the upgrade
for Nha Trang Port. Then, welcoming cruise ships will be far better.
Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, Deputy director
of the provincial Department of Tourism, the province always attended to
improve the services for cruise tourists. As planned, the department
will assess some tourist destinations in the province to find measures
to improve services. The department is also making draft amending and
supplementing the regulation on jointly managing operation and business
of tourism by international cruise ships in Nha Trang.
Xuan Thanh
Translated by T.T