Vietnam: Agents told to re-register

HO CHI MINH CITY  Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has set a 15 September deadline for travel companies re-register their business operations, or lose their licenses for outbound and inbound tours.
Saigon Times quoted the VNAT saying the deadline had been extended to 15 September to give travel firms more time to comply. Provincial tourism offices reported that travel firms under their jurisdiction were grappling with the new requirements.
VNAT noted that travel companies were ordered to renew their outbound and inbound travel service licenses as stated by a Decree 180/ND-CP issued 14 November 2013.
VNAT deputy head, Ha Van Sieu, was quoted saying: “Travel enterprises that do not get the licenses renewed after the date will not be able to arrange international tours.”
inside no 1The original decree required travel firms organising outbound tours or inbound tours to re-register their business within one year. However, when the deadline expired January many travel firms had failed to comply forcing the VNAT to extend the deadline twice.
Firms have to deposit USD23,000 as a bank guarantee up from USD11,462 to obtain licenses for outbound and inbound tours.
According to the tourism law, travel firms must place deposits at banks to settle cases where they fail to fulfill their contractual terms.
Around 400 travel companies, nationwide, have not re-applied for licenses, with most of them headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia