VietNamNet Bridge – The central city of Da Nang is establishing a 20-member task force to deal with violations in the field of tourism in the next two weeks.

This Chinese guide was fined for illegally working in Vietnam.

Mr. Ngo Quang Vinh - Director of the Da Nang Tourism Department - said in the first half of 2016, Da Nang welcomed millions of tourists, including more than 1.2 million Chinese, but the Department has only three inspectors.

Vinh said three inspectors are not enough to manage such a large number of tourists so it is necessary to have the task force.

Mr. Tran Chi Cuong - Deputy Director of the Da Nang Tourism Department – added that Da Nang annually receives 5-6 million tourists, five times more than the city’s population. When the number of visitors rises, there are many problems and the Department of Tourism cannot handle everything.

According to Vinh, the tourism task force will include representatives of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the People's Committee of districts, the Immigration Agency, the customs agency, and the airport security force.

"This force will be headed by the Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism. Upon discovery of the disruptive behaviors of travelers, the task force will appear in time to immediately deal with them. The problems that are out of their competence, the team will submit to the city chairman for consideration and decision," Vinh said.

Problems from the surge of Chinese tourists

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Vietnam in the first half of 2016 rocketed, said Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Director General Nguyen Van Tuan last Friday, adding that Chinese visitor growth scored more than 47.5 percent compared to the same period last year.

The latest VNAT report shows more than 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited Vietnam during this period, making up roughly a quarter of the total international tourists visiting. The local tourism industry’s capabilities in terms of both personnel and services failed to adapt to such a sudden growth of Chinese tourists, Tuan said.

Notably, Chinese visitors do not spread evenly across the country but only focus on some tourism centers such as Nha Trang and Da Nang.

Several problems related to Chinese tourists and Chinese tour guides, who work illegally in Vietnam, have been reported.

In Da Nang, a Chinese tour guide who worked illegally was reportedly recorded distorting Vietnam’s history and culture when introducing the country to a group of Chinese tourists late last month. A clip of the event immediately went viral on the Internet, prompting legal action from the local authority to curb such violations.

Da Nang authorities last week decided to fine six Chinese for the illegal operation of tourist services and for violations of resident laws with VND20 million (US$890) each.

In a complaint sent to the Da Nang Tourism Department in late June, a group of Chinesse-speaking Vietnamese guides said that there were at least 60 such Chinese guides working illegally in the city, and most of the Chinese travel agencies serving Chinese tour groups disguised their operations with a Vietnamese licence, which were directed by Chinese managers.

The VNAT has urged local authorities to immediately roll out strict measures to inspect and put tourism services under control. They were asked to report the results of the implementation of these measures to VNAT by August 30.

Last Wednesday, VNAT’s head Tuan sent a letter to his Chinese counterpart Li Jinzao, asking for co-ordination in addressing violations of the law committed by a particular Chinese tourist in Vietnam in June.

On June 14, a Chinese man, identified as Hou Genshun, burned a Vietnamese banknote in a Da Nang bar, severely violating Vietnam’s law. He was deported two days later.

Compiled by Pha Le