The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has written to local tourism authorities asking them not to check the educational qualifications of tourism company leaders until the end of the second quarter this year, Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

Western European visitors are seen in Hoi An Town

The main reason for the suspension is that amendments and supplements to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Circular 06/2017 are under consideration.

Under the circular, tour operators and managers of travel firms, despite having worked in the industry for years, must take part in a travel profession training course or complete their formal education if they have yet to obtain a college diploma in travel services or a certificate in travel management.

The rule applies to the chairperson of the board of directors, the chairman of the member council, the chairman, owners of private firms, the general director, the director or deputy director and the head of the travel division at enterprises.

Many firms voiced their concerns and objections over the regulation requiring travel managers to return to the classroom as a condition for doing business after the rule was issued. Tourism company leaders, however, have spent a lot of time and money on formal degrees or qualifications in travel management to meet the new business condition. As a result, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism announced the suspension of the regulation until further notice.

This is not the first time regulations concerning the tourism sector have been changed, causing difficulties for travel firms and tour operators. For example, travel firms had earlier been ordered to ask for issuing accreditation cards to tour guides, but the rule was later changed to allow tour guides to ask for accreditation cards themselves. The adjusted rule highlighted tour guides’ separation from the firms’ management. The administration then reappointed firms to carry out the task.

Tu Quy Thanh, director of Lien Bang Travelink, said that the firm is always concerned about regulations affecting the tourism sector. Many new rules are inappropriate and unreasonable, easily causing tourism companies, even long-standing and prestigious firms, to violate them.

Sharing his opinion, a director of an HCMC-based firm noted that the governance of the tourism sector lacked a balanced approach, with strict regulations being introduced while fraud remains rampant.

SGT