Incident involving parking for tourists in Cua Lo: Pacific Hotel's poor handling of the situation!

((Baonghean.vn) – In an interview with a reporter from Baonghean.vn on July 7, 2016, regarding the “incident” at the Pacific Hotel, Mr. Vo Van Tho, Head of the Culture and Information Department of Cua Lo Town, stated:"The incident has left a bad reputation and negatively impacted the Cua Lo tourism brand. In this incident, the parties involved, especially the Pacific Hotel, handled the situation very poorly.".

Reporter:Sir, what were the initial developments of the events that occurred at the Pacific Hotel on the afternoon of July 6, 2016?

Mr. Vo Van Tho - Head of the Culture and Information Department of Cua Lo Town.

Mr. Vo Van Tho:At noon on July 6, 2016, while working with the inspection team from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, I received a message from Mr. Vo Van Hung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cua Lo Town. Mr. Hung said that tourists had reported that the security guards at the Pacific Hotel were impounding cars, preventing guests from leaving, and requested that we come to investigate. Immediately, we arrived at the Pacific Hotel and found a dispute between the two sides regarding money.

Realizing that the tourists were very anxious, we requested the hotel to find a place for everyone to rest and eat temporarily while waiting for the group to resolve the issue; at the same time, we requested that all parties cooperate under the chairmanship of Mr. Le Khac Hoang - Deputy Chief Inspector of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, with the view that both sides must reach an agreement to ensure the rights of the tourists. This information was immediately reported by many newspapers on July 6th.

Reporter:Sir, what led to you and the Deputy Chairman of the People's Committee of Cua Lo town advancing money to pay the Pacific Hotel?

Mr. Vo Van Tho:To clarify the situation, the Inspectorate of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism drew up a report and proposed a suitable solution. However, both the Pacific Hotel and the Pacific Green Tourism Company could not reach an agreement. The Pacific Hotel insisted that they would not allow the vehicles to leave until they received the outstanding payment from the Pacific Green Tourism Company. Realizing that a prolonged standoff would cause tourists to wait longer, the Deputy Chief Inspector took responsibility under his authority, but the Pacific Hotel still refused.

According to the inspection report compiled by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the Pacific Hotel, the hotel temporarily detained the car of the Thai Binh tour group.

The tourists also offered to contribute money to pay for the Pacific Hotel, but we felt that such a solution was inappropriate and would damage the brand and image of Cua Lo town.

Therefore, we discussed the matter and decided to advance the money to pay the Pacific Hotel in advance.

Reporter:Sir, how will the "incident" at the Pacific Hotel be resolved?

Mr. Vo Van Tho:As far as I know, the Inspectorate of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nghe An province has requested the Inspectorate of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thai Binh province to cooperate in resolving this matter. Certainly, within a short time, the inspectorate will clarify who is right and who is wrong. The People's Committee of Cua Lo town will base its next course of action on the conclusions of the Inspectorate of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Reporter:Sir, Cua Lo Town has been building its brand as a friendly and hospitable coastal city. So, how does the People's Committee of Cua Lo Town view the "incident" at the Pacific Hotel?

Cua Lo as seen from Lan Chau Island.

Mr. Vo Van Tho:For Cua Lo Town, tourists are the group that deserves the most attention. Regarding the "incident" that occurred, although it was handled promptly, it is clear that the parties involved have caused harm to tourists and affected the tourism brand that Cua Lo Town has worked hard to build. We find that the Pacific Hotel handled the situation very poorly; and the Green Pacific Tourism Company has also failed to fulfill its responsibilities to the tourists.

Every year, the People's Committee of Cua Lo Town organizes training courses on cultural conduct for business owners, including hotels and restaurants. This incident serves as a major lesson for all businesses in the area. Therefore, we will implement solutions to more strictly manage the business operations of these establishments in the area…

Reporter:Thank you, sir.

Ha Giang(perform)