VietNamNet Bridge – The Prime Minister has agreed to allow international travel firms to pay a security of VND250mil ($15,625) instead of VND500mil ($31,250) as suggested by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
This sum of money will be used to compensate clients in case the travel firms break the contracts, and deal with risks.
Prior to that, VNAT proposed the security level of VND500mil, which faced strong opposition from travel firms. The firms complained that a big sum of money would be left idle, while they would still have to borrow money at banks at the interest rate of 1.1% on average.
Travel firms which are also booking agents for airlines now have to pay VND250mil in security for providing international travel services (inbound and outbound tourism), and $30,000 as a security for booking agents which puts big difficulties on them.
Decree 92 signed by the Prime Minister stipulates that persons who operate domestic travel businesses must have the working time in travel business of three years at least. Meanwhile, the operators of international travel businesses must have the minimum time working in this field of four years.
International travel firms must pay a security of VND250mil. These firms can only hire tour guides who have the international tour guide card to provide services to foreign travelers.
Under the decree, foreign travel firms which want to open branches and representative offices in Vietnam must operate as travel firms for five years before setting up branches or offices in Vietnam.
Once the branch is set up, the head of the branch must not hold the post of the head of the representative office of the same company in Vietnam at the same time, or head the representative office of another foreign company in Vietnam.
The new decree also stipulates requirements for granting international or domestic tour guide cards. Tour guides must not suffer from infectious diseases and must not use addictive substances.
Tour guides who have been granted cards before the day this decree comes into effect will be able to guide tours for two more years before they must meet the requirements stipulated by the decree.
There are 473 operational travel firms in Vietnam.
Viet Nam Net
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