Being new and unfamiliar to the place, tourists sometimes, if not always, fall victim to crimes such as theft, fraud, assault and even more serious crimes like kidnapping, even murder. Because of this alarming reality, Ho Chi Minh City is bent on tightening its security to better protect its tourists which are life and blood of its economic sector. By the end of 2016, it aims to establish a tourist information and support office which will function as an advice and support system to all its visitors.
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Ho Chi Minh City Chairman Le Hoang Quan was happy to announce that in September 23 of this year, it opened two pilot information stations near Ben Thanh Market and the other one at Bach Dang Wharf Park in District 1. These were strategically located because these are places where “tourist-related issues” like mugging, illegal soliciting and overcharging usually happen and can thus be quickly addressed.
Both stations took around VND4.9 billion (US$220,000) to construct. They are available to tourists from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The tourist information and support office is set to officially open on December of this year. Being on a pilot scheme, it will operate and be observed for a year before the local government decides to open similar services in Districts 3 and 5.
Even more than being support and help centres to tourists, visitors can still go to the stations even if they don’t get victimized by any crime and just inquire about the best tourism products and services in the place. The city government therefore feels the urgent need to set up this kind of service office to both boost its tourism and beef up its security.