Since early this month, inspectors from the Da Nang Department of Tourism and the municipal Police Department have been checking some of the city’s popular tourist attractions and its tourism companies to investigate tourism law violations.

Chinese visitors in Da Nang

In particular, during their inspection visit on 6 July to the Linh Ung Pagoda in Son Tra District, the inspectors found Ms Pham Thi Thu Hien to be working as a tour guide for Chinese tourists without an international tourist guide card.  The tour had been arranged by the Lead Step Service and Tourism Company at 116 Xuan Thuy.  As a result, the company was given a fine of 12.5 million VND for the violation.

On 13 July, the inspectors also imposed a 15.5 million VND fine on the city’s branch of the Thang Loi Trading Investment and Tourism Company of 53 Hoang Duc Luong for violating the country’s tourism laws. 

Since January this year, the company has not been sending statistical reports to the relevant agencies, and not kept its travel records as regulated.

On the following day, the inspectors checked the administrative activities of the Natural Love Service and Travel Company at 43 Nguyen Cong Sau. 

Five Chinese nationals were found working at the company as accountants and tour guides even though they had entered Viet Nam on tourist visas.  They were fined 94.4 million VND in total in accordance with the Vietnamese laws about foreigners working in Viet Nam without licences granted by the relevant Vietnamese agencies.  Four of them were deported from Viet Nam before the expiration date on their visas.  The company itself was fined 12.5 million VND, and the licence for its international travel service was suspended for 24 months.