In the current context, Da Nang’s tourism must develop in a more sustainable and in-depth manner, with more attention paid to quality over quantity, in a bid to make new breakthroughs in this lucrative aspect.

Local tourism needs paying more heed to quality over quantity to ensure sustainable development.

The instruction was released by municipal People’s Committee Standing Vice Chairman Dang Viet Dung at his recent meeting with representatives from businesses active in the tourism industry.

Addressing the event, Mr Che Viet Dong, the Head of the city’s Chinese-speaking Vietnamese tour guides’ club, pointed out to the fact that, a total of 100 Chinese-speaking Vietnamese tour guides in the city have recently become unemployed because of the growing number of Chinese nationals working illegally as tour guides for visitor groups from their country to the city.

The Chinese nationals are reported to do all the talking both on tourist coaches and at local popular attractions, whilst Vietnamese guides work as ‘sitting guides’, and their job is purely to keep silent throughout the tour. They only show up to work with the inspection teams from the city authorities whenever a foreign tourist group is checked.

Still worse, these Chinese ‘guides’ spread false and distorted information about the truth of Viet Nam’s history and its culture to their fellow countrymen and women.

Currently, the city is now home to more than 40 travel agencies exclusively serving Chinese tourists, and they only employ Chinese nationals.

In another issue of deep concern, temptingly cheap tour packages have resulted in unmanageable transactions as well as tax losses to the city budget.

Mr Che Viet Dong proposed that local tourist transport providers should be encouraged to install surveillance cameras inside their coaches as an effective way to monitor tour guides’ presentation.

With regard to necessary measures for ensuring the security in the coastal tourist-packed districts of Son Tra and Ngu Hanh Son, Chairman of Da Nang Tourism Association Huynh Tan Vinh emphasised an urgent need to establish a specialised force which is in charge of ensuring the security for the tourism environment.

Chairman of Da Nang Tourism Association Huynh Tan Vinh emphasised an urgent need to ensure security at tourist-packed locations.

Besides, it is highly recommended to operate a tourist police force on a trial basis.

Regarding this issue, according to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Nguyen Xuan Binh, said that the already-established tourism rapid response team has operated effectively.

This team is mainly responsible for ensuring the safety of visitors arriving in the locality, and guaranteeing the security in tourism activities.

Another main issue raised by many participants at the meeting was how to develop attractive new waterway tourism products.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman Dung re-affirmed Da Nang’s strong stance in developing tourism as one of the city’s spearhead economic sectors with sustainable development.

In his instructions, the city leader underlined the emphasis on creating more special tourism products which can compete against those in other localities nationwide, and building a safe and civilised tourist environment.

By late next month, cameras will have been installed inside tourist coaches.