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Vietnam's Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien has warned as such at a press meeting yesterday.
The ministry is also checking the allegations that some Chinese travel companies are operating illegally in Vietnam. It will revoke licenses of any Vietnamese firm if it is found to cooperate with illegal travel agents from China, Thien said.
In a directive announced earlier this week, the ministry said those who capitalized on their tourist visas to work as illegal tour guides will have to be deported and declared persona non grata.
The directive pointed the finger at two tourism hotspots of Da Nang and Khanh Hoa, where such violations have been reportedly rife. It asked all provinces that are set to receive an influx of Chinese tourists to compare notes with localities with experience on this matter to ensure legitimate interests of the tourists.
The government directive came on the heels of recent media reports that unlicensed Chinese tour guides were attempting to inculcate distorted information about Vietnam’s history and culture into their Chinese tourists while showing them around in the central city of Da Nang.
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A Chinese tour guide (speaking) in Vietnam's Cam Ranh International Airport. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Ngoc |
Minister Thien, however, said Friday that the recent increase in the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam is a good sign.
The country, however, should think more about improving service quality and ensuring security and safety for tourists. He also admitted that Vietnam’s infrastructure in the travel industry, such as airports and accommodation, have been overloaded. But during the low time many hotels run the risk of empty rooms.
“The number of foreign tourists to Vietnam remains much lower than to other countries, only accounting for one third of foreign tourists to Thailand. It is clear that the travel industry should fix its shortcomings if we want to welcome more foreigners,” the minister said.
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