High-end liner carries foreign tourists to Ha Long Bay

Quang Ninh, June 4 (VNA) – The Malaysian cruise liner SuperStar Virgo, with 2,600 foreign passengers on board, arrived in Ha Long city, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, on June 3. During their stay, the visitors from China and other Asian countries are set to tour the world natural heritage site Ha Long Bay and learn about local lives. The visit to Vietnam is part of cooperation between the Saigontourist Holding Company and the liner’s owner Star Cruises – the third largest cruise operator in the world. Welcoming the guests, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan said Vietnam is an ideal destination for global tourists, whose safety is always ensured by the Government. He also asked Quang Ninh to step up efforts to ensure security, improve service quality and attract more foreign tourists. At his working session with provincial officials on June 2, Tuan reported that Chinese tourists have, in recent days, resumed tours to Vietnam, mainly through the border gates of the northern provinces of Lang Son, Lao Cai and Quang Ninh. In the first five months of 2014, Quang Ninh greeted 1.2 million foreign visitors, of whom Chinese and Taiwanese tourists made up 38 percent. Since early May, the East Sea tensions have triggered a sharp decrease in tourists from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, badly impacting on the locality’s tourism.-VNA