VietNamNet – After three years away for reasons from the whole Southeast Asia region, such as the SARS and H5N1 epidemics, tsunami, etc. many cruise ships like Peace Boat, Pacific Venus, Asuka, Oriana, Clipper Odyssey, and The World have returned to Vietnam.

On March 9, 2006, the five-star cruise ship Silver Shadow owned by the US’ Silver Sea group carried 200 foreign visitors to central Da Nang City. Most of the visitors came from the US and were elderly. This was a nine-day tour, departing from Hong Kong on March 4 to land at Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay and Da Nang and stop at Thailand’s Ko Samui port on March 13.

It is estimated that each passenger on the cruise ship will spend approximately US$10,000, including nearly $4,500 for sea transport. They visited Hue City, ancient Hoi An Town, Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mounts), the Champa museum and Da Nang City. Ao dais, palm-leaf conical hats, and stone-made souvenirs were their favourite products.

Le Dinh Tuan from the Tan Hong tourism company said that a cruise ship early this year brought more than 200 visitors to Nha Trang City in the central province of Khanh Hoa and HCM City. Those visitors went shopping, spending an average of $250/person in the two cities.

“After a quiet period, sea tourism is emerging. In 2005 our company only rested for one month, the remaining 11 months we welcomed cruise ships,” he said.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), of 320,000 international visitors to Vietnam in the first two months of 2006, more than 20% traveled by cruise ship. The range of passengers on cruise ships is also more diverse than in previous years, including people from the UK, France, the US, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.

VNAT’s statistics show that spending by tourists on cruise ships is 20-30% higher than that of visitors to Vietnam by air and by road.

In the central region, the Chan May Port in Hue City and Tien Sa in Da Nang City welcome over 20 cruise ships of various nationalities. The Silver Shadow ship will call on HCM City in its 10-day tour from Bangkok to Singapore in mid-March.

With the theme “Vietnam’s imprint”, this cruise ship will return to Vietnam three more times this April with thousands of visitors from the US, Hong Kong and Bangkok. The destinations will be Ha Long, Da Nang, Nha Trang and HCM City.

Another cruise ship named The World, owned by the US Resident Sea group, will visit Da Nang City’s Tien Sa Port on July 5, revealed Phung Cu, Deputy Director of the Tan Hong Tourism Company, which has signed contracts to welcome the ship’s passengers in Vietnam this year. According to Mr. Cu, The World’s passengers are called residents of the ship instead of passengers because they lease luxurious rooms on the ship for three months.

(Source: TN)