More than 500 tourists have decided to stay on Cat Ba Island in the coastal northern city of Hai Phong to experience the coming storm Wipha according to local authorities.
A corner of Cat Ba Island
According to the Cat Hai District People's Committee, most of visitors have left the island after being informed of the Storm Wipha but over 500 tourists are still staying at local hotels.
A group of tourists on Cat Ba Island on August 2
"Boats have been banned since 5pm on August 1," the committee said. "Tourists and local people have also been warned not to go out to ensue safety."
The committee also said that tourists staying during the storm would get 50% discount on their room rates.
Some tourists still go out despite warnings of the storm on August 2
Speaking at a meeting to prepare for rescue work during the Storm Wipha held on Friday morning, colonel Nguyen Hong Nguyen from the Ministry of Public Security said that they have requested police in the two island districts of Co To and Cat Hai to tighten inspection on tourism services in the areas during the storm.
"We've heard about some tourism companies launching "storm-watching" tours in Co To and Cat Hai," the official said. "This is not allowed and any violators will be strictly dealt with."
According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, Wipha will land in Vietnam and affect Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh and Thai Binh provinces from tonight, August 2.
