From early on 30/4, thousands of tourists gathered at ferry terminals, forming long queues to complete boarding procedures.

At Phan Thiet port (Lam Dong), the waiting area was packed from around 5h. Many, carrying luggage, stood blocking pathways. Some families reported arriving at dawn to secure their spots, avoiding the risk of missing their trips due to the sudden increase in passengers. Despite continuous announcements and guidance from staff, the boarding areas remained crowded.

Tourists queue at Phan Thiet port on the morning of 30/4. Photo: Kim Thu

"My family had tickets in advance but still had to queue for nearly one hour to reach the control area. It was much busier than I imagined," said Nguyen Thi Hong, 37 years old, from Ho Chi Minh City, adding that she had to feed her young child right in the queue to avoid missing the ferry.

A representative from Phu Quy Express stated that on the morning of 30/4, 5 ferries from 5 companies were operating, serving over 2,200 passengers traveling to the island. Their company's ferry has a capacity of 370 people per trip. Most tickets were booked weeks in advance, and last-minute purchase requests had to be declined due to being sold out.

"During the 30/4 - 1/5 holiday, the company serves over 1,100 passengers. Demand has increased three times compared to normal days," the Phu Quy Express representative said.

On Phu Quy island, auxiliary tourism services also faced overcrowding. Thanh Lam, who specializes in motorcycle rentals, reported adding 25 vehicles that morning, yet it was still insufficient to meet the demand, which was up by 20% compared to the same period last year.

Tourists queue to board a ferry to Phu Quy island on the morning of 30/4. Photo: Kim Vo

"I mobilized my entire family to deliver vehicles to customers, but we still couldn't keep up," Lam said.

The ferry terminal area in Rach Gia, An Giang, for Nam Du island was similarly crowded. Queues of people stretched to the ticket gate. Many passengers who had booked tickets in advance still waited for tens of minutes before boarding.

"Our group of six arrived two hours early and still had to stand and wait for a long time. At times, the line barely moved," said Tran Minh Tuan, a tourist from Can Tho.

A representative from Phu Quoc Express confirmed that all trips for the day were fully booked early, with many time slots "sold out" two weeks before the holiday.

"The sudden surge in demand meant that despite increasing trips and mobilizing maximum personnel, localized congestion during peak hours was unavoidable," the Phu Quoc Express representative said.

Tour guide Thanh Hiep, specializing in Nam Du tours, noted that not only the boarding areas but also parking lots and access roads leading to the port experienced localized congestion. Authorities deployed additional forces to regulate traffic and ensure security.

According to forecasts from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, weather in the southern seas in the coming days is expected to be good with calm waters, favorable for passenger transport to the islands. However, tourism experts advise tourists to proactively contact accommodation and services on the islands in advance to avoid not having a place to stay overnight due to the large number of arriving visitors.

Tuan Anh