A high-speed boat used to transport passengers on the Cà Mau-Nam Du-Phú Quốc route. — VNA/VNS Photo Huỳnh Anh

HCM CITY — A high-speed boat service linking the southernmost province of Cà Mau, the Nam Du Archipelago and Phú Quốc Island in Kiên Giang Province will be resumed on March 18.

According to the Cà Mau Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the reopening of the boat service aims to meet the rising demand of visitors and boost the recovery of the travel industry after two years of suspension due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Phú Quốc Express Joint Stock Company, a high-speed boat service operator, has announced that the boat service will run once a week on Saturday for the first two weeks (March 18 and 25).

It will depart at 9am from Ông Đốc Passenger Port in Sông Đốc in Cà Mau Province.

From March 28, the service on the Cà Mau-Nam Du and Nam Du-Phú Quốc routes will be operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Meanwhile, the Phú Quốc-Nam Du and Nam Du-Cà Mau routes are scheduled for Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The company will offer the service every day starting from April 8.

Each trip on the Cà Mau-Nam Du-Phú Quốc route takes about three hours and 15 minutes.

It uses catamaran passenger boats able to carry 600 passengers each.

The boat service was put into operation in July 2020 and was expected to offer a new travel experience to tourists and help boost tourism in Cà Mau and Kiên Giang provinces. However, the pandemic outbreak caused the service to temporarily stop.

Nam Du Archipelago and Phú Quốc Island are among the most popular tourist destinations in Kiên Giang, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists each year.

The Nam Du Archipelago consists of 21 islands that stretch for an area of more than 901 hectares in An Sơn and Nam Du communes.

The islands offer visitors scenic beauty, pristine white-sand beaches, dense tropical jungle, and fresh seafood.

Phú Quốc Island has been named as one of the world's best 15 islands to retire to, thanks to its beaches, low cost of living and rich culture.

The island has become a top tourist destination after it built an international airport in 2012 and the Government rolled out a 30-day visa-free policy for foreigners in 2014. — VNS