Authorities verify report of tourists abandoned in Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam
The Department of Transport in Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam has tasked relevant units with verifying a report of a group of tourists being abandoned on an island in world-renowned Ha Long Bay on Sunday, a leader of the department told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday.
A tourist wrote on Facebook that a group of visitors to Ti Top Island in Ha Long Bay was left on the island, calling it a terrible tourism experience.
The tourist angrily wrote that “Abandoning customers on Ti Top Island and leaving without checks. No missed calls [were seen], waiting for 30 minutes but the ship did not return, calling the phone number on tourist wristbands but in vain…”
The provincial Department of Transport assigned its subordinates to join hands with the management board of Ha Long Bay to verify the tourist’s accusation on Facebook.
According to a representative of the management board of Ha Long Bay, a ship carried 99 tourists to Ti Top Island on Sunday. At the scheduled time to return to the mainland, many tourists did not reach the ship, but the ship still returned to the mainland.
The travel company which operates the ship later dispatched another ship to the island to pick up the remaining travelers. This made the travelers’ return to the mainland later than scheduled.
According to the Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority and the management board of Ha Long Bay, they were aware of the case after the tourist’s Facebook post spread.
The relevant agencies are working to clarify the responsibility of the travel company and prevent similar cases.
By Thanh Ha & Tien Thang – Tuoi Tre News – June 18, 2024