Danang takes steps to better serve Northeast Asian tourists

Danang takes steps to better serve Northeast Asian tourists By Nhan Tam A South Korean family visits Danang Cathedral, or the Rooster Church, in Danang City – PHOTO: NHAN TAM DANANG – Danang City is weighing measures to better control the increasing number of Northeast Asian tourist arrivals, particularly from China and South Korea, while maintaining the hefty profits from these source markets. Arrivals from South Korea and China accounted for more than 70% of the foreign tourists visiting the city in the first half of the year, resulting in a sharp increase in the city’s tourism revenue. A Northeast Asian visitor reportedly spends an average of VND10-12 million, including tour expenses and shopping, according to a recent survey. However, as the number of tourists surge, many issues have also surfaced, requiring appropriate measures to ensure sustainable growth of the hospitality industry in Danang, municipal authorities said at a press conference on the tourism scenario in the first half of 2018, held today by the municipal People’s Committee. The city is reportedly facing a shortage in the number of local tour guides and a surge in the number of unlicensed foreign tour guides. These problems are affecting the city’s tourism sector, and the related agencies should urgently cooperate to find solutions, noted Nguyen Xuan Binh, deputy director of the municipal Department of Tourism. The city’s tourism department is collaborating with travel agencies to install cameras on tour buses, aimed at identifying unlicensed foreign tour guides or those spreading inaccurate information… [Read full story]