HCMC – The Ministry of Construction has issued a circular tightening technical safety and environmental requirements for inland waterway vessels used for overnight tourism, floating restaurants and floating hotels, including a ban on newly built wooden-hulled vessels and the conversion of existing wooden boats for such purposes.
Under the regulation, vessels serving overnight tourist accommodation, floating restaurants and floating hotels must not be newly constructed with wooden hulls, nor may wooden-hulled vessels originally built for other uses be converted to provide lodging or dining services.
The circular applies to organizations and individuals involved in operating overnight tourist vessels, floating restaurants and floating hotels on inland waterways. However, it does not cover floating restaurants with raft-based submerged structures that are manually linked.
Eligible vessels must be built from materials such as steel, aluminum, composite materials, ferrocement or reinforced concrete, and must meet relevant technical standards.
In terms of safety, vessels are required to install public-address systems capable of making announcements in both Vietnamese and English when carrying international passengers. Escape routes must be fitted with illuminated or phosphorescent signage, while doors along evacuation routes must be able to open immediately without keys or special tools.
Captains are responsible for patrolling and monitoring passenger areas and vessel conditions at least once every hour, with records kept in the ship’s logbook. Emergency drills on the use of lifesaving equipment and evacuation procedures for crew members must be conducted at least once every six months and documented with photos.
On environmental protection, vessels must comply with national technical standards on wastewater and oily water discharge. Overnight tourist vessels using diesel engines with a total capacity exceeding 220 kilowatts must be equipped with oil-water separators meeting the 15-parts-per-million standard and waste oil storage tanks.
Vessels must also be fitted with wastewater treatment systems or holding tanks for transfer to treatment facilities, as well as waste storage equipment for proper collection and disposal.
The circular will take effect on February 15, 2026.
