Tour operators confused over VNAT’s warning
By Dao Loan - The Saigon Times Daily
HCMC – Tour operators are mired in confusion about a latest warning from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), which asked them not to take local tourists to casinos in foreign countries.
The warning, issued by VNAT head Nguyen Van Tuan, is explained to better protect tourists by keeping them from falling victim to gambling when they are abroad, but the agency did not make clear why local tour operators have to shun such venues. Casinos are often included in itineraries in outbound tours by local travel firms, especially when they take tourists to destinations such as Malaysia, Macau, Cambodia and the U.S.
Tour operators do not call such tours as gambling tours because such casinos are located in complexes of tourism services, shops, hotels and casinos as well.
For tours to Las Vegas of the U.S., Macau, or the Genting Highlands of Malaysia, tour operators often arrange for local tourists to stay in hotels in these complexes. If the warning by VNAT is to be observed, such tours will be canceled.
Vo Anh Tai, director of Saigontourist Travel Service Co., said VNAT needs to draw a clear line between tourism complexes with casinos included and other venues that just operate casino services only.
In fact, these complexes are operating as venues for tourists, especially those traveling to attend international conferences that are often hosted there.
“They (such complexes) provide not only gambling services, but also hotels, entertainment and shopping services for tourists so the central tourism agency needs to classify the two kinds of services,” he said.
Echoing Tai’s points, Cao Pham Hang, director of Saigon Petroleum Service Company, said it would be a problem if not sending tourists to such venues.
“Maybe, we will not mention sightseeing tours to casinos but it is very difficult to stop sending tourists to such venues where tourists can enjoy more services there,” she said.
Nguyen Van Tuan, head of VNAT, said his agency has a clear view on this issue.
“Some companies say they take tourists to tourism complexes for sightseeing only, but in fact they take travelers to venues for gambling so we want to ban tours to such venues,” he told the Daily on Monday.
However, he explained that with regard to the law, VNAT cannot ban tour operators from taking tourists to such venues, but the agency still issued the document to show the clear view that VNAT does not encourage such kinds of tours.