VN province set to reduce bus fares

THE northern Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh is considering reducing bus fares from Van Don International Airport to Halong’s city centre and entrance tickets to popular attractions like Halong Bay and Yen Tu for tourists arriving by air.

Provincial People’s Committee chairman Nguyen Duc Long said the move was aimed at attracting more tourists to the province on flights to Van Don International Airport, which was expected to open at the end of next month.

The current price for entry to Halong Bay is from 200,000 dong ($8.53), depending on specific tours, and the ticket for Yen Tu is 40,000 dong per adult.

Van Don International Airport has been hailed as a driver for growth in Quang Ninh province, so authorities are focusing on policies to encourage carriers to open flights to and from the airport.

Domestic carriers Vietnam Airlines and VietJet both plan to operate flights from the airport.

Vietnam Airlines plans to firstly offer daily flights between Van Don and HCM City, while VietJet said that Quang Ninh Province held potential market and the low-cost carrier always wanted to expand its operations.

The province expects to receive 12 million tourists this year, up 24 per cent, together with tourism revenue of 23 trillion dong.