More river cruises around town in the offing

In the near future, visitors to HCMC will have more tour choices due to new projects to develop river tourism around the city, said a project owner.
Phan Xuan Anh, chairman of Viet Excursions, told the Daily that his company would join forces with partners to build about 20-30 boats with capacity of 30 people each. The cost for each boat is around VND300-400 million.
“We are taking a survey, and the designs for such boats should illustrate the Southern charms,” he said.
According to the business plan, boat rides will depart from Bach Dang Wharf and Thi Nghe Canal, targeting foreign tourists.
However, the biggest concern is the polluted environment coupled with the low vertical clearance under bridges which on tours’ success. In specific, residents around Tau Hu Canal often discharge waste directly into the canal and there are many bridges with very low vertical clearance of 1-2m that can prevent ships from navigating underneath.
Together with selecting suitable routes for boats, it is essential to have support from the city government to improve environment and hygiene.
In 2011, Viet Excursions cooperated with Can Gio Biosphere Reserve to build two tourist boats with a capacity of 48 people each and some Kayak bought to transport international tourists from Phu My Wharf in Ba Ria – Vung Tau to Can Gio. Currently, those boats are still in use but the route has been changed, linking Hiep Phuoc in Nha Be with Can Gio.
HCMC has chosen river tours as the strategic tourism service and Saigontourist would be the key player in promoting this new product. Last June, the city officially launched seven river tours from Bach Dang Wharf to many attractions in District 9, Binh Quoi and far up to the Mekong Delta region.
Currently, several companies have been selling river tours frequently. Bach Dang Wharf will become the main tourist port developed by Saigontourist. A list of piers and stops has been also provided to attract more investors.