Khanh Hoa Province Department of Tourism apologizes for letting Chinese people manipulate tourism

“As a management agency, we apologize for not doing everything possible to create a healthy environment for tourism activities in Khanh Hoa.”

Ms. Phan Thanh Truc, Deputy Director of Khanh Hoa Province Department of Tourism, admitted this at a meeting of member businesses of the Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa Tourism Association held last weekend, aiming to rectify the situation of Chinese people manipulating tourism in this province.

Nha Trang Beach (Khanh Hoa).

Ms. Truc explained: “The Chinese tourist market to Khanh Hoa has had many problems recently. We know, we do, we are determined, but the results are not as expected.”

Many members of the Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa Tourism Association frankly pointed out the limitations and weaknesses in state management of tourism activities related to Chinese people in recent times. Mr. Huynh Khanh, General Director of Orient Travel & Event Trading Company, expressed his indignation: “There are unlicensed travel companies that still operate and sell tours normally like licensed companies. They still compete, reduce prices, and dump prices as usual. Even though the authorities have inspected them, they still continue to operate and are still operating today.”

Many travel companies believe that the short-term and long-term tourism forecasting work of management agencies is always behind the market, and sometimes the information provided is even inaccurate. Faced with the massive wave of Chinese tourists coming to Nha Trang, state agencies have hardly come up with any effective management measures, nor have they had any solutions to support businesses.

A Chinese man (in white shirt) gives a presentation to two Chinese guests at the Hon Chong national scenic area, Nha Trang. Photo: Xuan Ngoc.

“With the current number of Chinese tourists coming to Khanh Hoa, at least 700 Chinese tour guides are needed. Meanwhile, the entire Khanh Hoa province currently has only 11 Chinese tour guides and so far the authorities have not yet come up with any way to fill this gap,” said Mr. Dao Trong Tung, Head of the Vietnam-Hanoi Tourism Joint Stock Company branch in Nha Trang.

“Chinese tourists are the same everywhere they go, disrupting the market. The problem is local management. Up to 70%-80% of goods in service establishments serving Chinese tourists are from China. If they want to sell, they need the support of Vietnamese people. They deceive each other, defame our country by doing bad things themselves,” said Mr. Vu The Binh, Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association.

Ms. Phan Thanh Truc called on businesses to cooperate with authorities to restore order in international travel business activities in Khanh Hoa. In the immediate future, leaders of Khanh Hoa Province's Department of Tourism have proposed solutions such as requiring the use of Chinese-speaking tour guides at tourist attractions; businesses signing a commitment to agree on a minimum price to limit the situation of unusual price reductions to compete for market share; promoting the establishment of an association of travel businesses welcoming Chinese guests by setting out regulations and operating frameworks...

Many opinions agree on the need to quickly establish a club to welcome Chinese guests to support and manage them according to standards. Many businesses propose to soon print and disseminate notes in many places to let Chinese guests know what they should and should not do when coming to Vietnam, and at the same time, there should be stronger measures to ensure that they comply with Vietnamese law as well as regulations of local authorities.

According to PLO