>> Captain and chief mechanic suspected in Ha Long shipwreck
>> Tourist boat’s hull “suddenly broke”, killing 12 in Ha Long Bay
AZ Queen, a Hanoi-based travel firm, must stop all its services because it has been providing services without a license.
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| Aftermath of shipwreck in Halong Bay |
The company was operating the boat that recently went down in the Halong Bay, which left 12 dead.
In addition to the suspension, the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has decided to fine the company VND15 million (USD718.9) for misconduct.
Pham Quang Long, director of the department, said that they are seeking approval from the municipal department of Planning and Investment and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to revoke the business license of AZ Queen.
No business lisence of the same kind should be granted to Nguyen Van Hien, director of AZ Queen, in the time to come, the department proposed.
A further investigation is underway to clarify the specific violations of AZ Queen that resulted in a shipwreck in Ha Long Bay on February 17, Long added.
The tragic incident does not seem to have affected tourism in the area. As of February 17, the number of visitors to the northern Quang Ninh province has increased compared to the same time last year.
In February, Quang Ninh welcomed 885,200 tourists, which was up 8% from a year earlier. Of the total, 186,800 were foreigners, a rise of more than 30% from last year.
The figure brought the number of tourists to Quang Ninh, in the first two months of this year, to over one million. The province as a whole gained VND500 billion (USD23.96 million) in tourist revenue between January and February.
