Proactive prevention
In 2025, Khanh Hoa province is expected to welcome over 5.5 million international tourists, a 13.4% increase compared to 2024. In the first four months of 2026, this number reached 1.4 million, a 33.8% increase compared to the same period last year. The continuous influx of tourists from South Korea, Russia, and Kazakhstan has created a vibrant tourism landscape in the region. However, this boom has also brought about a worrying consequence: the emergence of foreigners working as unlicensed tour guides at historical sites and scenic spots, including Long Son Pagoda, the Po Nagar Cham Towers, and Hon Chong. For many years, the Khanh Hoa Provincial Center for Cultural Heritage Conservation has made efforts to implement various measures to strengthen management and prevent foreigners from working as tour guides illegally.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy, Head of the Management Board of Hon Chong - Hon Do Scenic Area, said: “At the Po Nagar Cham Towers National Special Monument and Hon Chong scenic area, we have assigned tour guides at each site to ensure service, especially English-speaking guides. At each tourist location, we have set up a QR code system in both Vietnamese and English so visitors can scan the code to listen to automated explanations. In addition, we have installed a system of directional signs and warning signs stating that foreigners are not allowed to guide visitors within the historical site. The Management Board also regularly instructs ticket vendors, ticket checkers, and service staff to remind foreigners not to guide visitors at the site… This has effectively prevented the situation of foreigners illegally guiding visitors.”
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| Tourists watch traditional Cham art performances at the Po Nagar Cham Towers National Special Monument. |
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy, the Khanh Hoa Provincial Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation previously sent documents to travel companies requesting compliance with the Tourism Law, prohibiting the use of foreign nationals as tour guides at tourist attractions under its management. There have been cases where the Management Board directly dealt with individuals engaging in illegal tour guide activities at attractions such as Hon Chong and the Po Nagar Cham Towers, a special national historical site. However, the practice of some foreigners secretly guiding tourists still occurs, especially during peak tourist seasons. These individuals are often very cunning. They only guide small groups of 5-7 people, do not wear identification badges, do not purchase entrance tickets like regular visitors, and only provide brief introductions instead of lengthy explanations. When reminded, they claim to be tourists themselves, bringing friends along, making it difficult to take action. The Po Nagar Cham Towers National Special Monument receives 4,000-5,000 visitors daily, while Hon Chong scenic spot receives 1,500-2,000 visitors. During peak times, with a large area and many visitors, it is very difficult to control all those who secretly offer unlicensed tours. The camera system also has some angles that cannot record video or audio because not all locations provide clear audio for use as evidence in legal proceedings.
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| A sign stating that foreigners are not allowed to give guided tours is placed right at the ticket gate for visiting the Hon Chong scenic spot. |
Regarding this issue, Mr. Pham Minh Nhut, Chairman of the Khanh Hoa Tourism Association, stated that not all foreigners who introduce tourist attractions and historical sites are unlicensed tour guides. Many people who have lived and worked in Khanh Hoa for a period of time may take their friends sightseeing and give them a brief introduction. These cannot be called unlicensed tour guides because they are not working professionally or earning money from this type of work. Therefore, it is premature to draw conclusions before there is conclusive evidence. However, Mr. Nhut also acknowledged that some foreigners have taken advantage of this to operate as unlicensed tour guides, a problem that all major tourist centers face. “To address this problem, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and related sectors need to strengthen inspections, and when there is sufficient evidence, strictly handle violations to clean up the tourism environment and ensure a safe environment for travel agencies and licensed tour guides. We will also require businesses to strictly comply with regulations on travel operations,” Mr. Nhut shared.
Inspections and enforcement will be intensified.
Regarding information about unlicensed tour guides, Mr. Cung Quynh Anh, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that previously, the department had instructed the Provincial Cultural Heritage Preservation Center to assign local tour guides and to warn against and prevent illegal tour guiding activities at tourist sites. Following reports, the department sent officials to conduct on-site surveys at tourist attractions and requested increased control. The department will soon coordinate with the police and relevant agencies to establish an inter-agency inspection team to review and inspect those organizing unlicensed tours and handle unlicensed tour guides. At the same time, the department will coordinate with the Khanh Hoa Tourism Association to work with travel agencies and the Tour Guide Association to ensure compliance with regulations in tour guiding activities.
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| A tour guide from the Provincial Center for Cultural Heritage Conservation guides international tourists on a tour of the Hon Chong scenic spot. |
Mr. Cung Quynh Anh also frankly acknowledged a reality: The reason foreign tour guides still have opportunities to operate is because the locality lacks domestic tour guides fluent in Russian, Korean, etc. Previously, the department had planned to open additional foreign language training courses for tour guides who already have licenses so that English-speaking guides could also guide Russian and Korean tourists, but the plan was halted due to conflicts over authority and funding between departments and agencies. "In the near future, we will work again with the Department of Internal Affairs to propose to the Provincial People's Committee a solution; at the same time, we will work with training institutions to open foreign language classes. Businesses will send their employees to study to quickly supplement the force of international tour guides for these markets," Mr. Cung Quynh Anh shared.
To date, the Khanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has issued licenses to 2,451 tour guides; including 1,538 international tour guide licenses and 913 domestic tour guide licenses. Among the 1,538 international tour guides, there are 750 Chinese-speaking guides; 595 English-speaking guides; 83 Russian-speaking guides; and 69 Korean-speaking guides…
XUAN THANH
Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/du-lich/202605/no-luc-ngan-chan-huong-dan-vien-chui-80c764e/
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