The move followed instructions from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to 16 provinces and cities to suspend tours to areas at risk of flash floods, landslides and flooding, and evacuate tourists from danger zones when necessary.
Tours and overnight stays on Halong Bay in Quang Ninh Province and Lan Ha Bay in Haiphong City have been suspended since 7 am on August 22 and will resume only when weather conditions are deemed safe.
In Ninh Binh, the Trang An Ecotourism Complex suspended all tourism activities from August 23 until further notice.
Other attractions in Ninh Binh Province have also restricted services. Thung Nham Ecotourism Site has closed But Cave and Mermaid Cave since August 21, while Cuc Phuong National Park has suspended overnight forest stays. Xuan Thuy National Park halted sightseeing boat trips in its estuary area from 5 am on August 22.
In Quang Ninh, tourist boats have been moved to storm shelters and secured with reinforced mooring lines, with two crew members assigned to each vessel to monitor conditions.
The ministry has asked tourism authorities to review destinations and routes vulnerable to severe weather, particularly forest and waterway tours and activities in mountainous, riverside, coastal and steep-terrain areas.
Tour operators must closely monitor weather forecasts and adjust itineraries where necessary, including rescheduling, shortening, postponing or cancelling trips. Policies on changes, cancellations and refunds must also be clearly communicated to customers.
Operators have also been told to promptly assist tourists already in at-risk areas and coordinate with authorities in emergencies.
Intense rain is forecast to continue across northeastern Vietnam and Thanh Hoa through Province August 24, with some areas receiving more than 250 mm.
Prolonged rain has pushed several rivers in the northeast above the highest warning level, raising the risk of severe flooding in low-lying and riverside areas, as well as flash floods and landslides in mountainous regions.
