The opening of the route comes under a memorandum of understanding signed by the two provincial authorities.

Vo Phi Hung, director of the province's Department of Tourism, said Tuesday tourism officials and businesses in Beihei had surveyed the route.

"We re­ceived good feedback from our partners. They have made a verbal commitment to taking tourists to the province next month," he said.

The new sea travel route will depend on the expansion of the existing route between Beihai and Halong Bay in Vietnam's northern province of Quang Ninh.

When the new route opens, cruise liners will sail to Hue after stopping over in Halong Bay.

Two cruise ships from Guangxi's Beihai take turns traveling to Halong Bay each day. Another route from China's Hainan Island to Halong Bay was inaugurated last December.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and tour operators will survey dozens of new sea tourism routes linking Vietna