Vietnam travel company accused of

abandoning foreign tourists

A Chinese tourist (R) buys food in Ha Long Town in the northern province of Quang Ninh / H!T! C!"RT#$% !& T'(T$)
Near*y +,, Chinese tourists have accused a -ietna.ese trave* co.pany of *eaving the. out to dry in Ha
Long 'ay/
The tourists fi*ed co.p*aints with the Chinese e.bassy in Hanoi on 0onday1 c*ai.ing that the tour guide
and representative of (hang Thai Trave* Co.pany had *eft the. stranded at the 'ai Chay ort in Quang
Ninh province ear*y that day/
Quang Ninh2s touris. authorities then stepped in and ordered the co.pany to send a tour guide to ta3e
care of the tourists that sa.e day/
Ha Quang *ong1 director of the Quang Ninh 4epart.ent of Cu*ture1 $ports and Touris.1 said that after
visiting the bay1 the tourists *eft -ietna./
He a*so said that his depart.ent wou*d wor3 with (hang Thai2s representative this wee3 to straighten out
the situation/
$pea3ing to Thanh Nien1 Nguyen Huu -iet1 deputy chief of the touris. ad.inistration division at the
Hanoi 4epart.ent of Cu*ture1 $ports and Touris.1 which .anages the trave* co.pany1 denied the
Chinese tourists2 accusations/
He said in accordance with their itinerary1 that day the tourists were given free ti.e to do sightseeing as
they wished/
5n the .eanti.e1 Thoi bao (inh te $aigon ($aigon Ti.es) !n*ine 6uoted Nguyen Quy huong1 chief of
the Trave* 4epart.ent at the -ietna. Nationa* Ad.inistration of Touris.1 as saying that the tourists who
hai*ed fro. Hong (ong1 bought a tour to visit China1 Ha Long 'ay1 and Hanoi fro. a Chinese co.pany/
5n -ietna.1 (hang Thai was in charge of co.p*eting i..igration procedures for the tourists1 whi*e
another co.pany provided touris. services/
!n 0onday which was the *ast day of the tour trave* in -ietna.1 the -ietna.ese co.panies *eft the
tourists at Ha Long 'ay because their Chinese partner fai*ed to pay the.1 huong said/
According to the officia*1 it was not the first such case of pay.ent prob*e.s between Chinese and
-ietna.ese trave* co.panies/
China is the *argest .ar3et for Quang Ninh touris.1 4oan 0anh Linh with the Quang Ninh 4epart.ent of
Cu*ture1 $ports and Touris. to*d the newspaper1 adding that the nu.ber of Chinese tourists usua**y
surges during Tet (-ietna.2s Lunar New %ear) ho*iday/
The province we*co.ed so.e 78,1,,, foreign tourists this Tet (fro. 9anuary :, to &ebruary 8)1 up +7
percent year on year1 Linh said/