Việt Nam’s largest and most advanced high-speed boats will be operated on the tourism sea route connecting Cà Mau Province with Kiên Giang Province’s Nam Du Archipelago and Phú Quốc Island. — VNA/VNS Photo Huỳnh Anh

CÀ MAU — Tourists to the southern province of Cà Mau now can conveniently travel to nearby Kiên Giang Province’s Nam Du Archipelago and Phú Quốc Island by using an express boat service that will be operated in the province from tomorrow.

Addressing the launch ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Cà Mau Provincial People’s Committee Trần Hồng Quân said that the launch of the sea route, which is the first of its kind, is expected to facilitate economic and tourism development in the locality.

The service is also designed as a new tourist product of Cà Mau in order to provide visitors with interesting experiences, create more jobs for locals and increase tourism revenue.

The route is plied by two high-speed boats of the Phú Quốc Express Joint Stock Company.

According to the chairman of the company, Vũ Văn Khương, the tourists can enjoy European standard five-star services on Việt Nam’s largest and most advanced high-speed boats.

Each boat is 46.85-metres long and 12.2-metres wide with a capacity of 600 passengers at a maximum speed of 35 nautical miles per hour. The trip takes about an hour and a half per leg, departing from Ông Đốc Harbour in Sông Đốc Town, Trần Văn Thời District in Cà Mau.

The round-trip tickets are priced at VNĐ590,000 (US$25) for adults, VNĐ470,000 ($20) for the elderly and children, and VNĐ980,000 ($43) for VIP tickets.

“Phú Quốc Express Joint Stock Company should utilise their experience to recruit professional staff and crew, in addition to preparing effective operation plans for their business,” Quân said.

He also requested relevant provincial departments to continue to pay and support local tourism enterprises, particularly in terms of promotions, improving services, diversifying local tourism products and ensuring security and order, which would create a stable number of tourists and offer conditions for the tourism sea route to be exploited with the highest efficiency. —  VNS