VNAT to probe outbound travel firms over tour quality

Vu The Binh, head of the Travel Department under VNAT, told the Daily that the department would begin the inspections next month.

Inspectors will focus primarily on HCMC-based travel companies that have been arranging tours to Cambodia, and other firms located in the Central region that organize overland trips to Thailand. He said that the department had sent documents explaining the inspections to the provincial Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism in relevant localities.

"We've decided to monitor travel companies that arrange tours to these three countries because we have received complaints about low quality, unsafe tours and unfair competition among some companies in these markets," Binh said.

He said the department would fine companies that did not measure up, or even revoke their licenses, in a bid to protect local tourists. At a recent tourism meeting in HCMC, Binh said that Vietnam has more than 800 travel companies with licenses to organize inbound and outbound tours. About 600 companies operate outbound tours.

The tourism department had found it difficult to oversee travel companies' operations as many failed to send required reports to them. He said that, according to the Tourism Law, companies who do not hand in their reports on time would be issued warning for once from the department before their licenses are revoked.

"We will tighten activities to monitor the sector's operation to close down bad companies," he said. VNAT issued a document this March asking tour operators to stop taking local tourists to casinos in foreign countries and to protect travelers abroad. The tourism agency has also asked local firms to stop sending tourists to unsafe destinations.