The number of international cruise ships and visitors to Vietnamese seaports increased dramatically.

DNHN - Since the start of 2023, numerous Vietnamese seaports have continuously welcomed large international cruise ships. The super-luxury ship Spectrum of the Seas, for instance, is among the ten largest cruise ships in the world.

According to data from the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the number of passengers passing through a Vietnamese seaport during the first five months of 2023 increased by 55% over the same period in 2022, reaching 3.23 million. Notably, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam arriving by sea has increased to 137,54 thousand.

Since the start of 2023, numerous Vietnamese seaports have continuously welcomed large international cruise ships. In February, the Spectrum of the Seas, one of the top 10 largest cruise ships in the world, docked at Ba Ria - Vung Tau port with 3,800 international tourists from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore.

In March 2023, the port of Quang Ninh province saw the arrival of a large number of foreign cruise ships. The most notable is the Mein Schiff 5, which carries over 2,000 European passengers. Simultaneously, the Italian cruise ship MSC Poesia docked at Tien Sa port in Da Nang, bringing 2,400 European tourists to Vietnam.

The return of luxury cruise ships is an indication that the cruise market and international tourism industry are beginning to recover from the Covivirus-19 pandemic.

As this is an expensive and opulent form of travel, experts note that the cruise tourism market is influenced by a variety of factors, particularly the economic climate. In addition, the cruise season in the Northern region typically occurs quickly.

A representative from the Quang Ninh Port Authority stated, "Traditionally, the international cruise ship season begins at the end of October of the previous year and ends in April of the following year due to severe weather in the summer."

Vietnam has invested in the construction of specialized ports at Hon Gai (Quang Ninh) and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang) to meet the needs of international tourist passenger transport by sea. These two terminals have been completed and can accommodate passenger ships with a maximum gross tonnage of 225,000 GT.

In addition, the international passenger port of Ao Tien and the passenger port of Con Dao have recently become operational. Specifically, the Con Dao passenger ship port is currently welcoming passengers. The management board of Ben Dam port (Con Dao district) reported that the port received an average of 1,000 passengers per day with three ships docked during the recent trial period. Currently, the Management Board is testing and evaluating the situation to implement more effective port operation options.

P.V (t/h)