Conditions for issuance of the tour guide card in Vietnam

Conditions for issuance of the tour guide card in Vietnam

Pursuant to Article 58 of the Law on Tourism 2017, tour guides include international tour guides, domestic tour guides and on-site tour guides.

To act as a tour guide, a person shall:

- Have a tour guide card;

- For the international tour guide and domestic tour guide, sign an employment contract with the travel service provider, tour guiding service provider or member of the socio-professional organization for tourism.

- Sign a contract with a travel service provider or obtain an assignment order; for the on-site tour guide, the assignment given by an operator of the tourism area or tourist attraction is required.

In particular, the tour guide card includes international tour guide card, domestic tour guide card and on-site tour guide card. An international tour guide card and domestic tour guide card is valid for 05 years.

Conditions for issuance of the tour guide card in Vietnam (Internet image)

Tour guide’s scope of practice in Vietnam

Pursuant to Clause 2, Article 58 of the Law on Tourism 2017, tour guide’s scope of practice:

- An international tour guide may guide domestic tourists, inbound tourists outbound tourists;

- A domestic tour guide may guide domestic tourists who are Vietnamese citizens nationwide;

- An on-site tour guide may guide tourists within a tourism area and tourist attraction;

Rights and obligations of tour guides in Vietnam

Rights and obligations of tour guides are specifically stipulated in Article 65 of the Law on Tourism 2017 as follows:

(1) A tour guide has the following rights:

- Participate in the socio-professional organizations for tour guiding;

- Receive salary and other remunerations under the contract;

- Complete refresher courses for tour guides;

- In case of emergency or force majeure events, the tour guide has the right to adjust tour programs and standards of services provided for tourists.

(2) A tour guide has the following obligations:

- Guide tourists in conformity with the assignment order or the contract;

- Observe and guide tourists to observe Vietnamese and local laws; local regulations; respect local customs and practices;

- Provide tourists with information on the tour programs, services and lawful rights and interests of tourists;

- Guide tourists in conformity with the tour program, be civilized, considerate and wholehearted towards tourists; inform the person in charge of provision of travel services of the change in the tour program at the request of tourists;

- Take responsibility for providing assistance in ensuring safety of tourists’ lives, health and property;

- Complete the refresher course as prescribed in Clause 4, Article 62 of the Law on Tourism 2017;

- Wear the tour guide card during the tour;

- The international and domestic tour guides must bring the assignment order given by the enterprise organizing the tour program, and tour program in Vietnamese during the tour. In case the tour guide guides international tourists, he/she must bring the tour program in Vietnamese and foreign languages.

Mai Thanh Loi

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