Ninh Binh tightens safety rules for adventure tourism

Photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre

Authorities in northern Vietnam’s Ninh Binh Province have ordered tighter controls on high-risk tourism activities following accidents and safety concerns involving adventure sports.

The provincial Department of Tourism said local authorities, tourist-site managers, businesses and the tourism association must strengthen oversight of powered paragliding, flyboarding, stand-up paddleboarding and hot-air ballooning.

Officials said these activities have appeared at several tourist sites as experiences, performances and promotional events. Some have been linked to incidents affecting tourists and performers, creating wider safety risks and potentially damaging Ninh Binh’s reputation as a destination.

Operators warned against unlicensed activities

Tourism businesses have been instructed not to organise high-risk activities on an ad hoc basis. They may offer them only when all requirements under existing safety regulations have been met.

Organisers must clearly explain the potential dangers to participants before activities begin. They must also provide information about weather and terrain conditions, health requirements and the safety rules that customers are expected to follow.

The stricter approach follows a serious flyboarding accident at Nui Lo Lake in Hoa Lu Ward in May.

Performer nearly drowned during demonstration

A flyboard performer and a female tourist fell into the lake during a demonstration. The tourist resurfaced and was helped onto a motorboat, but the performer briefly appeared above the water before sinking again with the equipment.

People on shore entered the lake after the performer failed to reappear. The victim was rescued approximately 15 minutes later in an unconscious condition after nearly drowning.

The performer was taken to Ninh Binh General Hospital in serious condition and diagnosed with pneumonia caused by near-drowning. Mechanical ventilation was required before the patient was transferred to Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi for further treatment.

A subsequent inspection by the provincial tourism department found that the flyboarding performance had not been officially licensed when the accident occurred.

The department’s directive is intended to ensure that adventure tourism develops under formal supervision, with operators responsible for equipment, conditions, participant information and emergency preparedness.

What it means for foreigners in Vietnam

Foreign visitors taking part in adventure activities in Ninh Binh should check that the operator is authorised and that insurance, safety equipment and rescue procedures are in place. Travellers should also expect clearer briefings on health, weather and terrain risks. The new controls do not ban adventure tourism, but they signal closer scrutiny of informal or unlicensed operators.

31 August 2026