Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese tour guides will be ranked on the basis of their capacity, knowledge and experience, said Bùi Văn Dũng, vice chairman of the Việt Nam Tour Guides Association (VNTG) during a press conference held yesterday in Hà Nội. Like hotels, the tour guides will receive a star rating with the aim of encouraging them to improve their skills and upgrade service quality. “Currently, more than 23,000 tour guides are serving international and domestic tours but just over 6,000 tour guides are licensed,” said Dũng. The VNTG received support from the Việt Nam Administration of Tourism, the Việt Nam Tourism Association (VITA) and the European Union-funded Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism project to launch the programme. Accordingly, a competition will take place in HCM City to rank tour guides on October 22-24, in Hà Nội and Quảng Ninh in November, and other … [Read more...] about Vietnamese tour guides will be ranked with stars
Vietnamese tour guide
Da Nang fines six illegal Chinese tour guides
Da Nang (VNA) â Chairman of the Da Nangâs People Committee Huynh Duc Tho on July 6 signed a decision to impose administrative fines on six Chinese people who entered Vietnam and worked as tour guides without permission from authorities. The violators, five women and one man, have to pay 20 million VND (900 USD) each. The municipal Peopleâs Committee has ordered inspection of tourism activities across the city, especially unlicensed Chinese-speaking tour guide services. Travel companies, hotels, and Vietnamese tour guides that lend a hand for foreigners to illegally operate in the field will be strictly punished. The local Department of Tourism has closely worked with the district Peopleâs Committees as well as relevant agencies to strengthen measures to enhance management of tourism activities. The immigration department in the central region along with the municipal police has closely followed the regular entrance and exit of foreigners in Vietnam. The State Bank of … [Read more...] about Da Nang fines six illegal Chinese tour guides
Vietnam to crack down on illegal foreign tour guides
Vietnam’s government has asked tourism-haven provinces to rein in the operations of travel agents and illegal foreign tour guides, in an apparent move aimed at tightening the screws on unlicensed Chinese tour guides accused of distorting Vietnam’s history and culture. Those who capitalized on their tourist visas to work as illegal tour guides will have to be deported and declared persona non grata, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said in a directive on Wednesday, adding that such violations would also compromise the service quality and affect the image of Vietnam’s tourism industry. The directive pointed the finger at two tourism hotspots of Da Nang and Khanh Hoa, where such violations have been reportedly rife. It asked all provinces that are set to receive an influx of Chinese tourists to compare notes with localities with experience on this matter to ensure the legitimate interests of the tourists. The government directive came on the heels of recent … [Read more...] about Vietnam to crack down on illegal foreign tour guides
As tourism ambassadors, Vietnam tour guides just fail to do their job
While a tour guide is supposed to provide assistance, information and cultural, historical and contemporary heritage interpretation to vacationers, some would only do the otherwise and scare tourists away. >> An audio version of the story is available here As soon as tourists begin their journey to explore Vietnam, they will meet their tour guides, who could be considered the Vietnamese ambassadors for tourism. But many foreign tourists have asserted that they will never return to the country after being guided, and in some cases abandoned, by local tour guides. On February 3 last year, more than 100 Hong Kong tourists were taken to Ha Long Bay, located in the northern province of Quang Ninh, to explore the UNESCO heritage site by Khang Thai Co. But shortly after their arrival, the tour guide vanished into thin air, leaving the tourists with their jaw fell. Ha Quang Long, director of the Quang Ninh tourism department, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper the following day that … [Read more...] about As tourism ambassadors, Vietnam tour guides just fail to do their job
Volunteer tour guides a hit with foreigners
After booking tickets, hotels and other services for their trip to the capital of Vietnam , Dorothy Colton and her husband from England visited the website www.tripadvisor.com to read recommendations from tourists all over the world. They accidentally found Hanoi Free Tour Guides, a non-profit organisation founded and run by youth. They tried booking a free tour via email and received a reply just few minutes later. The couple is among hundreds of foreign tourists discovering Hanoi under the guidance of trained amateur tour guides. Established in January 2010, the group attracts more than 100 young people, most of whom are students. "Many international tourists have difficulties on their visit to the capital, while Vietnamese students lack the environment to practise foreign languages. Therefore, the group was founded to support foreigners as well as create an opportunity for students to acquire new knowledge and improve their skills," said group leader Le Thanh Cong, who is studying … [Read more...] about Volunteer tour guides a hit with foreigners