“Thoi Tiet Ha Noi” Fanpage Apologizes Following Controversial Quang Ninh Travel Warning

On July 14, the “Thoi Tiet Ha Noi” fanpage posted a formal letter of apology. They addressed the letter to Quang Ninh provincial leaders, authorities, residents, and tourists regarding their controversial post.

Around 11:07 AM on July 12, the page published a weekend weather advisory for Quang Ninh. The post stated: “Think twice if you haven’t booked your rooms yet. The weather will turn bad from the evening of July 18. You may lose your chance to return to the mainland if you wander out to the islands.”

Photo: Collected

In the apology, the administrator admitted their alarmist tone caused people to interpret the information “more negatively than originally intended.”

“I realized my content and phrasing caused anxiety for residents, tourists, and tourism businesses in Quang Ninh after the post went viral,” the letter noted. “I sincerely apologize for the unintended impact.”

The administrator also apologized to Quang Ninh residents, travel agencies, and affected individuals. The fanpage stated that it respects state management agencies. They are ready to cooperate and provide explanations if requested. Furthermore, the page promised to review its editorial process before publishing content that impacts the community.

On the evening of July 13, the Quang Ninh Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism requested that Provincial Police verify the incident. They asked police to identify any legal violations and take appropriate action against the “Thoi Tiet Ha Noi” fanpage.

The fanpage has over 301,000 followers. The Department noted that the page published unverified information without citing official government sources. This triggered public anxiety and negatively impacted local tourism.

The agency’s preliminary review suggests the post used speculative, alarming language. It led readers to believe the weather in Quang Ninh would become exceptionally dangerous. This misunderstanding potentially damaged the psychological state of tourists and local tourism activities.

Quang Ninh welcomed over 12.4 million visitors in the first six months of the year. This figure represents a 3% increase over the same period last year. International arrivals exceeded 2.6 million. Total tourism revenue reached nearly 35.2 trillion VND, an increase of 21%. This year, the province aims to attract 22.5 million visitors with tourism revenue exceeding 68.5 trillion VND.

Photo: Collected