Seaport stops receiving international passenger ships, Department of Tourism urgently reports to Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee

(NLDO) - The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism has proposed to consider and approve the policy of allowing a pilot program to receive international passenger ships at ports until the end of December 2026.

At the end of October 16, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism has just sent a document to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee reporting on receiving international passenger ships at ports in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area.

Accordingly, the Department of Tourism received a series of applications from travel companies and shipping agents requesting a pilot policy to receive international passenger ships at ports in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area.

A series of businesses have sent "cry for help" after the sudden announcement to stop receiving cruise ships at Cai Mep - Thi Vai port cluster, seriously affecting the activities of welcoming international visitors to Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Decision No. 01/QD-TTr dated July 2025 of the Inspectorate of Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration on adding functions to ports in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai river area to receive international passenger ships. Currently, the authorities are guiding container ports and general ports in this area to carry out procedures for adding functions according to regulations.

However, completing the procedures takes time, while from now until the end of December 2025, about 20 international passenger ships have registered plans to dock and by the end of 2026, there are expected to be about 118 trips with more than 260,000 international passengers.

International cruise ship passengers are a high-spending segment when visiting Vietnam.

Therefore, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism recommends that, in order to support businesses in welcoming and serving cruise tourists, and at the same time contribute to attracting international visitors to Ho Chi Minh City by sea, promoting economic development and enhancing the image and tourism brand of the city, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee directs the Ho Chi Minh City Maritime Port Authority, the Department of Construction and related units to proactively remove obstacles for businesses.

Accordingly, the policy of piloting the reception of international passenger ships at ports in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area will be considered and approved. The period is from now until the end of December 2026, pending the completion of additional functional procedures as prescribed.

As reported by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, on October 15, Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) sent a document to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and relevant agencies regarding the reception of international tourist ships in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area (Ho Chi Minh City).

The group is currently experiencing serious operational disruptions in Vietnam.

"The suspension of receiving ships is related to the procedure for adding the function of receiving cruise ships at Cai Mep - Thi Vai port cluster as requested by the Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration. However, this sudden cancellation of the journey seriously affects our schedule and operations. Specifically, on October 18, the Ovation of the Seas ship carrying more than 4,000 passengers scheduled to dock at TCCT Port will not be able to proceed, causing great damage to passengers and the group" - Royal Caribbean's document stated.

Similarly, from now until the end of April 2026, Saigontourist Travel expects to have about 15 international passenger ships with about 40,000 passengers waiting to be received at ports in Ho Chi Minh City.

"If this is not resolved promptly, international shipping lines will be forced to cancel trips en masse, causing serious damage to Ho Chi Minh City's tourism revenue, breaking signed contracts of Saigontourist Travel and affecting the reputation and image of national tourism in the eyes of international partners" - the company representative worried.

In recent times, the number of international passenger ships arriving at Cai Mep - Thi Vai area has increased rapidly. It is expected that in 2025, there will be 48 trips with about 180,000 passengers; by the end of 2026, there will be about 118 registered ships arriving at the port, with a total of more than 260,000 international passengers.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/cang-bien-ngung-tiep-nhan-tau-khach-quoc-te-so-du-lich-bao-cao-khan-ubnd-tp-hcm-196251016173634247.htm