The Marble Mountains in Da Nang’s Ngu Hanh Son District is one of the city’s cultural symbols and popular tourist attractions.  However, over recent years the harassment of foreign tourists has adversely affected the tourism environment at this site.

It has been reported that some groups of touts from shops selling fine art sculptures and other stone souvenirs have been loitering on Huyen Tran Cong Chua, the street which leads to the Marble Mountains, to persuade tourists, especially foreigners, to visit particular shops. 

A female tout trying to pursuade a male foreigner to visit one shop

To make the problem worse, when security guards try to prevent the touts from operating at the site, they often show fierce opposition to the guards and use bad language. 

In an attempt to solve this issue of deep concern, an inter-disciplinary inspection team has been set up to ensure that there is a civilised trading environment at the tourist site.  In particular, the Management Board of the Marble Mountains has set up a special team to detect and deal with anyone throwing litter, illegally carving on rock formations, or harassing visitors, as well as ensuring order on the 5 mountains there.  However, the illegal touting along Huyen Tran Cong Chua has yet to be resolved effectively.

Many local residents living nearby are angry at this blight to the tourist site’s reputation, and they have emphasised the need to impose stricter penalties on the touts. 

Meanwhile, a member of Ngu Hanh Son District’s urban order management team stressed the need for the city leaders to make random and unscheduled inspections of the shops selling fine art sculptures and souvenirs at this tourist site to deal with the harassment and overcharging of foreign tourists.