Starting this Saturday, kayaks will no longer be permitted in Ha Long Bay.
According to Tuoi Tre, authorities in Quang Ninh province will impose a ban on kayak tours in the bay from April 1. Officials told the media these services were "damaging to the local tourism environment".
Quang Ninh officials also chose to stop kayak tour operations because kayaking services are not included in the province’s five-year heritage conservation plan, which runs until 2020.
Tuoi Tre reports that many kayak tour companies in Ha Long Bay operate without business licenses. While cruise boats often provide guests with their own kayaks, Quang Ninh officials are also stopping these services, arguing that the ban will help cruise operators avoid having “fewer crewmen on board the tourist boat than required”.
Those cruise operators who fail to follow the kayaking ban will receive a 30-day suspension, according to the news outlet.
[Photo via Bao Lau]
