During his meeting on Thursday with the Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Huynh Vinh Ai, the Director of the Da Nang Department of Tourism, Mr Ngo Quang Vinh, said that China has topped the city’s list of international tourist markets.

In the first half of the year, Da Nang welcomed 207,878 Chinese visitors, up by 54.9% compared with the same period last year.    

Foreign visitors at the city’s Cham Museum of Sculpture

He reports that in addition to Chinese people, South Korean nationals have also worked illegally as tour guides for South Korean tour groups visiting Da Nang.  He raised his concerns about the sophistication and complexity of the city-based foreign tourism companies and foreign tour guides because they have operated in Viet Nam for many years and have been aided by local Vietnamese travel agencies and tour guides.  He asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to take more effective measures to deal with the problem.

Director Vinh suggested that the University of Da Nang should provide more intensive courses for their third and final year students studying South Korean and Chinese languages to ensure enough human resources during the city’s peak tourism season between June and October.

In reply, Deputy Minister Ai urged the city to develop a high-quality and sustainable tourism sector.  The focus should be on increasing the checking and monitoring of tourism activities in the city and ensuring enough human resources for the tourism sector, especially tour guides for foreign visitors.

He agreed with the city’s proposal to set up interdisciplinary inspectors for local tourism activities.  The inspectors will take responsibility for handling individuals and organisations colluding with the city-based foreign tourism companies to carry out illegal tourism activities in exchange for receiving illegal commissions.