Series of fake boat capsizing videos 'damaging Ha Long Bay tourism

Many individuals have been posting fake videos of the boat capsizing incident in Quang Ninh on July 19th, causing public confusion and potentially harming Ha Long Bay tourism.

On the afternoon of July 19th, the Wonder Sea boat (also known as Vinh Xanh 58), carrying 49 people, capsized due to a thunderstorm, resulting in 35 deaths and 4 missing persons. Ten people were rescued. That same evening, many users uploaded videos on social media with titles such as "close-up of the tragic boat capsizing in Quang Ninh on July 19th" and "tourist boat sinking in Quang Ninh."

However, many people quickly realized these were "clickbait" posts. The videos were taken from the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi, and the boat shown was a luxury cruise ship specializing in overnight stays, not a smaller day-trip boat like the Vinh Xanh 58. Other videos used images of a ship that sank in Congo in October 2024, an incident that killed at least 78 people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ht_uxlmvI8

A fanpage posted a video of a sinking boat during Typhoon Yagi, but captioned it as the July 19 boat capsizing incident. Screenshot

The Quang Ninh Provincial Department of Tourism has confirmed it is aware of numerous individuals and fanpages circulating false videos regarding the July 19th boat sinking incident.

"While many people will recognize these as fake images, in the current circumstances, such misinformation causes public alarm and negatively impacts the local tourism image," a representative from the Department of Tourism stated. They added that they will report these individuals and organizations to the authorities for handling.

Mr. Pham Ha, Chairman of Lux Group, a company operating luxury cruise ships in Lan Ha Bay and Nha Trang, noted that the false videos could significantly affect tourist sentiment. For example, using images of a high-end overnight cruise ship that sank during Typhoon Yagi might lead tourists to form a negative opinion about the quality of vessels in Ha Long Bay.

"Large overnight boats have high stability and balance; they don't capsize easily like that," Mr. Ha explained.

A video of a boat sinking in Congo was recorded by a user as a boat capsizing incident on July 19. Screenshot."

A representative for a luxury cruise ship operator in Ha Long Bay explained that the Vinh Xanh vessel is a smaller, flat-bottomed, multi-deck boat that operates stably in calm waters. However, it's more susceptible to capsizing in strong thunderstorms compared to larger, luxury overnight cruise ships.

They noted that the misleading and doctored information circulating in the current sensitive climate can easily disrupt customer confidence. Sales departments for cruise lines have been advised to reassure customers if they have any concerns about vessel safety.

"Green Bay 58 boat was towed ashore and righted on the morning of July 20. Photo: Navy Command"

"According to Mr. Bui Thanh Tu, Marketing Director of Best Price, the current false videos are having a negative impact on Ha Long Bay tourism.

'Many people who cannot distinguish between truth and falsehood will generalize the quality of all boats,' Mr. Tu said, predicting that selling tour packages for tourist boats on Ha Long Bay will become more challenging in the coming time."

Hoài Anh