27 Jul 2013
Hanoi will set up an agency to assist tourists to plan trips and also to provide help if they have complaints.
According to a local media report, the agency will be headquartered at 47 Hang Dau Street, Hoan Kiem district in the capital city. It is due to open 1 August.
The service will provide tourists with information on destinations, tours, accommodation and other tourism-related services. In addition, it will assist tourists who have complaints to reach the correct agencies via hotlines, e-mail or social networking sites.
If the centre is successful it will serve as a model for other cities and tourist destinations.
The municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism director, To Van Dong, said: “This service will be linked to tourist booths citywide. We will cooperate closely with police in Hoan Kiem district to ensure security and a welcome. It will also help to deal with illegal soliciting and price gouging.”
According to the latest TripAdvisor TripIndex Cities 2013, Hanoi was cited as the cheapest destination in Asia with a TripIndex cost of US$217.76. The index was calculated on the combined costs for two staying one night in a four-star hotel, cocktails, a two-course dinner with a bottle of wine and return taxi transportation (two journeys of approximately 3.2 km each). It claimed the costs used in the study were accurate up to 1 June.
Last year, Hanoi welcomed more than 2 million foreign tourists, accounting for one third of the total foreign tourists to Vietnam.
Sourced: ttrweekly