Cat Ba gains new momentum from inter-regional tourism development
The cruise route connecting Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay is opening up a new inter-regional tourism space, attracting a strong influx of international visitors to Cat Ba in the summer of 2026.
Expanding the inter-regional tourism space
At the end of April, the cruise route connecting Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay officially began operations, marking an important milestone for the island and marine tourism sector of Hai Phong. The new connection not only shortens travel time between the two renowned heritage bays, but also creates a new interregional tourism product, enhancing experiences for both domestic and international visitors.
Immediately after its launch, four connected tourism itineraries — Ha Long Bay 3 – Lan Ha Bay, Ha Long Bay 4 – Lan Ha Bay, Ha Long Bay 5 – Lan Ha Bay, and Ha Long Bay 6 – Lan Ha Bay — attracted large numbers of tourists, especially international travelers.
Notably, all of these itineraries are overnight cruise tours, allowing visitors more time to fully explore the beauty of the two heritage bays.
Ms. Marie Dubois, a tourist from France, recently experienced the journey aboard the Ambassador Signature cruise, departing from Elephant Head Islet and Tung Lam Island in Ha Long Bay to Gia Luan, Quai To, Ong Cam, and other famous destinations in Lan Ha Bay.
According to her, the journey connecting Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay offered a completely different experience compared to her previous trips. She described Cat Ba as peaceful, with crystal-clear waters and a stronger sense of closeness to nature.
Meanwhile, the Ha Long 3 – Lan Ha route has also become popular among tourists thanks to its itinerary through well-known attractions such as the Cua Van Floating Cultural Center, Ba Ham Lake, and Kim Quy Cave in Ha Long Bay before connecting to Tra Bau, Bright Cave – Dark Cave, Ba Trai Dao Beach, and Cai Beo fishing village in Lan Ha Bay.
The direct connection between the two bays enables tourism businesses to develop longer resort tours and cross-heritage exploration packages, while also expanding links between the international cruise ports of Tuan Chau and Ha Long and the tourism pier system in Cat Ba. This is considered an important foundation for attracting high-end international visitors to Hai Phong during this summer season.
The strong growth of the cruise tourism sector is also creating new momentum for the goal of developing Cat Ba into a green, smart, and internationally recognized tourism hub.
According to Chairman of the Hai Phong Tourism Association Mai Xuan Thang, together with the positive effects of the cruise connection between Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay, cruise tourism products are expected to continue growing strongly, especially in the international and high-end resort segments. The daily operation of these cruise routes is also helping establish a stable and long-term interregional tourism product linking Quang Ninh and Hai Phong.
Premium cruises continuously refresh tourism products
In recent years, cruise tourism has been identified as one of the key tourism products of Cat Ba. Moving beyond traditional sightseeing tours, many businesses have boldly invested in modern steel-hulled vessels, upgraded accommodation standards, entertainment services, and onboard experiences across the bay.
According to statistics from the Cat Hai Special Zone People’s Committee, there are currently 156 tourist boats operating in the bays surrounding the Cat Ba archipelago, including sightseeing vessels and overnight cruise ships. Of these, 81 are sightseeing boats, while 75 are overnight cruise vessels providing around 1,500 rooms on the bay. Most cruises in Cat Ba are developed with a focus on luxury, modern facilities, safety standards, and premium resort experiences.
At the same time, the summer of 2026 has witnessed a clearer trend toward “refreshing the travel experience.” Beyond sightseeing activities, many cruises now offer music parties at sea, weekend art performances, fine dining, kayaking, sunrise yoga sessions, and sunset-viewing experiences amid Lan Ha Bay.
According to Chairman of the Lan Ha Cruise Tourism Association Nguyen Duy Phu, tourism businesses proactively prepared vessels and upgraded services from the beginning of the year to meet the growing demand of visitors during the summer of 2026. In addition to luxury standards, green tourism trends are also receiving increasing attention from operators.
Reducing single-use plastic waste, strengthening waste classification onboard, and using environmentally friendly products are gradually becoming new competitive criteria among cruise businesses in Cat Ba.
According to Vice Chairman of the Cat Hai Special Zone People’s Committee Vu Huu Vung, in order to further develop cruise tourism into a high-end tourism product, the city will continue investing in and upgrading tourism port infrastructure in the Cat Hai Special Zone, including yacht marinas, Gia Luan Port, and the renovation of Beo Pier to meet the growing demand from visitors.
Amid the strong growth of Hai Phong tourism in the summer of 2026, cruise tourism is gradually affirming its role as an iconic high-end marine and island tourism product. Beyond expanding tourism connections with Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba’s cruise tourism is also helping elevate Hai Phong’s tourism brand on the international marine tourism map.
Bao Nam