Authorities in Vietnam's coastal city of Da Nang have fined a local tour guide for allowing a Chinese tourist to take over and spread distorted information about Vietnam’s history and culture to other visitors. Tran A Hung was fined VND12.5 million ($548) for failing to manage his client in accordance with regulations outlined in his contract, the city's tourism department said on Tuesday. Hung was guiding four Chinese visitors to Da Nang Museum in the central city in late February. In a video posted on social media on February 28, a Chinese woman identified as Wang JiHong, 48, one of Hung’s clients, taking on the role of a tour guide herself at the museum. She said the Vietnamese traditional long dress ao dai came from cheongsam, a body-hugging one-piece dress for Chinese women, and although the ao dai is made in the Vietnamese style, it looks the same as the Chinese cheongsam. JiHong went on to say that: “Vietnam belonged to China in the past but fighting had … [Read more...] about Tour guide fined for letting Chinese visitor spread distorted truth of Vietnamese history
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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. 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 … [Read more...] about Danang cracks down on foreign tour guides
Đà Nẵng 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 Đà Nẵng City. — VNA/VNS Photo zing.vn ĐÀ NẴNG – 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 Đà Nẵng City. The move was made after many foreigners were reported to illegally work as tour guides in Đà Nẵng City, affecting the tourism sector, security and order in the city. Lieutenant General Nguyễn Văn Lưu, chief inspector of the ministry, said that Major General Nguyễn Hữu Tiệp, 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 … [Read more...] about Đà Nẵng cracks down on foreign tour guides
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
The ‘barefoot tour guides’ in Quang Ninh
VietNamNet Bridge – Whenever tourists visit, the farmers in Yen Duc Commune become tour guides in their area. Mr. Nguyen Van Hien is a farmer in Yen Duc commune, the town of Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh, but also the employee of the Yen Duc Cooperative - a model of community-based tourism that is gradually becoming familiar with travelers in recent years. Yen Duc not only has peaceful scenery and quiet rice fields but also many relics and scenic spots such as Canh Huong pagoda, Cave 73, and mountains with simple names as Thoc (Paddy), Meo (Cat) and Chuot (Mouse). I t lies on the route from Hanoi to Ha Long. Since 2011, the Indochina Cruise Company has turned Yen Duc into an attractive tourist site, especially for foreigners. They can join the tour to become Vietnamese farmers through planting paddy and vegetables, using fishing-tackles to catch fish, resting in Vietnamese traditional houses, watching water puppetry shows, listening to quan ho love duets and visiting old houses … [Read more...] about The ‘barefoot tour guides’ in Quang Ninh
UNESCO trains Vietnamese Heritage Tour Guides
The UNESCO Office in Hanoi will hold an intensive training course on history, culture, archaeology and archaeological preservation and restoration to major tour guides at the World Cultural Heritage My Son Champa archaeological site, between August 11th and 15th. Certificates will be given to those who pass both a reading and writing tests. The UNESCO Office in Hanoi will open another training class at the World Cultural Heritage Hoi An Ancient Town next month. These courses, which aim to educate the specific tour guides to meet high quality, knowledge standard and skills set by the UNESCO considered necessary to make contributions to preserve Vietnam's World Cultural Heritages towards the sustainable tourism development goal. Source: HNM Translated by Van Hieu … [Read more...] about UNESCO trains Vietnamese Heritage Tour Guides
Aromatic Vietnamese coffee attracts fest-goers
Taking a sip of the cappuccino, New Zealander Peter Medway stops to ask for duong or sugar in Vietnamese. After sprinkling half the bag into his cup, he finishes the coffee in one gulp. His face brightens and he looks as if he has been fully recharged. It was one of many coffee booths that Peter stopped by for a taste during the coffee festival on March 11-15 held in Buon Ma Thuot, home to the coffee trees in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. "When I was on the plane to Vietnam, I came across an article about this coffee fest in a travel magazine. I immediately told myself that I had to go there," said Peter. Fascinated by Vietnamese history and culture, Peter has been visiting Vietnam no less than twenty times. He even stayed in Buon Ma Thuot for a year to teach English and travelled around Dak Lak province. Peter's first cup of Vietnamese coffee was in Saigon back on his first visit in 2002. Since then, he has been hooked on the Vietnamese caffeine. Coming to the fest, Peter … [Read more...] about Aromatic Vietnamese coffee attracts fest-goers
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