On July 6, the Binh Thuan traffic police caught a fishing boat carrying 20 people to visit the Ca Ty River.
On July 14, the police discovered another boat with 13 people on the river. At that time, the visitors were dining.
A fishing boat found illegally carrying tourists on Ca Ty River: Photo by Le Son
One of the people on the two boats was not wearing a life jacket, and the boat owners failed to show the required papers.
The boat owners admitted their violation. They were then fined VND5.5 million (USD225.87) each and pledged not to repeat the violation.
Bui The Nhan, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated that the local authorities say the water quality of the Ca Ty River still needs to be improved. At the same time, the shore facilities have remained underdeveloped. Therefore, local authorities have not yet approved tours of the river.
"We have nurtured a plan for the tourism potential of the Ca Ty River. The dyke construction is underway. The province will consider building docking facilities and developing more services by the river," Nhan noted.
Some years ago, a travel firm piloted tours on the river; however, the service failed due to a shortage of supporting facilities.
The Ca Ty River runs through the centre of Phan Thiet City. Along the river, tourists can visit the Duc Thanh Historical Site, Binh Thuan Museum, Phan Thiet Port, and Van Thanh Parish.