An Giang: Waterway tourism reaches nearly 78 million visitors in 8 months of 2025

An Giang Provincial People's Committee has sent report No. 245/BC-UBND to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the situation of waterway tourism activities in An Giang province in the period of 2023-2025.

The report said that passenger transport by water is quite developed, especially water tourism mainly uses water tourist transport vehicles to move from shore to islands and archipelagos.

By the end of August 2025, passenger transport reached 77,738,000 passengers. Of which, waterways reached 72,068,000 passengers; seaways reached 5,670,000 passengers.

In particular, the waterway transport system (operating at sea) plays an important role, connecting from the mainland to island communes and Phu Quoc special economic zone such as the route: Rach Gia - Phu Quoc about 120 km long; Phu Quoc - Tho Chau about 120 km long; Ha Tien - Phu Quoc about 60 km long...

Regarding maritime transport routes (sea routes), currently, in An Giang province, there are 07 waterway transport routes from shore to islands in Vietnam's sea area announced by the Minister of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction ) in Circular No. 16/2013/TT-BGTVT dated July 30, 2023; Circular No. 10/2024/TT-BGTVT dated April 10, 2024.

Regarding inland waterway passenger transport routes from shore to island, the province is currently managing 18 inland waterway transport routes from shore to island, around the islands announced by the People's Committee of Kien Giang province (now An Giang province) in Decision No. 3125/QD-UBND dated November 29, 2024.

For inland waterway transport routes on rivers and canals, there are currently 39 routes managed by the Central Government and 96 routes managed by the provinces.

Waterway tourism products mainly use water vehicles to transport passengers for sightseeing combined with fishing, squid fishing, diving to see coral, participating in water entertainment activities, riding jet skis, parasailing on the sea, around the islands concentrated in Phu Quoc special zone, Kien Hai special zone, Kien Luong commune, Son Hai commune, Tien Hai commune. In addition, there are activities to visit activities at Long Xuyen floating market, visit raft villages on the river in Chau Doc.

The province has about 110 inland waterway vehicles and passenger ships of all kinds operating to take tourists around the island and connect the islands; inland waterway vehicles are registered and inspected to ensure technical safety and environmental protection, fully equipped with life jackets, life buoys or buoyancy materials.

In general, the management of water transport activities, transport from shore to island at ports, wharves and means of transporting passengers from shore to island or ships and boats carrying tourists around the island, connecting islands in the sea and on the rivers of An Giang province in recent years has been carried out in accordance with regulations; specialized units have deployed tasks and solutions to ensure traffic order and safety, promptly meeting the needs of tourists.

Based on the above situation, to focus on developing waterway tourism, especially effectively exploiting the potential and strengths to develop waterway tourism products, the Provincial People's Committee recommends that the Government consider issuing mechanisms and preferential policies on land rental prices, interest rate support, tax incentives for investment projects in waterway tourism infrastructure and enterprises operating in this field; Support investment funding to upgrade and build new ports, docks, and invest in equipping specialized vehicles for localities to serve waterway rescue work.

Recommend the Ministry of Construction to develop a national strategy on waterway tourism development integrated into the provincial planning after the merger, in order to optimally exploit the advantages of waterway tourism.

Take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and relevant agencies and units to issue "mandatory" regulations on granting tourist transport signs for waterway vehicles when transporting tourists around islands, archipelagos and on rivers; Support funding for dredging and clearing channels and routes to ensure traffic and ensure waterway traffic safety to serve tourism development.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/an-giang-du-lich-duong-thuy-dat-gan-78-trieu-luot-khach-trong-8-thang-nam-2025-20251008103942146.htm