Danang cracks down on foreign tour guides

The Ministry of Public Security has set up an interdisciplinary inspection team to supervise foreigners’ compliance with the regulations on their entry, exit, and residence in central Danang City. - VNA/VNS Photo zing.vn

The move was made after many foreigners were reported to illegally work as tour guides in Danang City, affecting the tourism sector, security and order in the city.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Luu, chief inspector of the ministry, said that Major General Nguyen Huu Tiep, deputy chief inspector of the Ministry of Public Security, would lead the team. The team is comprised of representatives of the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Danang inspectors.

Lưu said that during the 45-day inspection, the team would tighten supervision on the implementation of the law on entry, exit and residence of foreigners in the city, boost education efforts on those laws and strengthen enforcement.

Lưu has asked leaders of the units to coordinate well with the inspection team, including preparing reports, dossiers and relevant documents and appointing staff to work with the team.

He has also asked the inspection team to ensure their job would not cause any harm to the operation of the concerned agencies and units.

Shortcomings, difficulties and obstacles in enforcement would be detected, so that the relevant authorities would propose to amend, supplement or promulgate new regulations on the entry, exit and residence of foreigners, he added.

Ho Ky Minh, deputy chairman of the city’s People’s Committee, said that the committee has required all relevant agencies and units to prepare reports and complete dossiers and documents for the inspection.

Early this month, the city’s People’s Committee had asked local police to enhance the management of travel and tourist guides, especially co-ordinate with the districts’ authorities to review the list of foreigners using long-term tourist visas or multiple-entry visas to work with Vietnamese enterprises in Ngu Hanh Son, Son Tra and Hai Chau districts.

Last September, the city’s government and tourism authority received a petition, which claimed that many Chinese tour guides were working illegally in the city. The petition, with 130-140 signatures, also argued that these tour guides distorted Vietnamese history and culture while serving tourists.

Figures from the city’s Department of Tourism showed that the department imposed a total fine of VNĐ763.7 million (US$33,680) on 93 violating cases. These cases involved a Taiwanese, two Chinese and eight Koreans.

The city currently has 623 Chinese-speaking tour guides licensed by the Department of Tourism.