Authorities in the north-central Vietnamese province of Quang Binh have promised to revoke the business licenses of any service providers or companies that rip off tourists.

All businesses that take advantage of tourists in this way will no longer be punished with administrative penalties but will have their operations shut down permanently, Nguyen Huu Hoai, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said at a meeting with nearly 200 local tourist firms on Sunday.

The statement was announced in response to a situation in which local businesses overcharging tourists negatively affected tourism in Quang Binh in 2015.

The decision was supported by Nguyen Xuan Dat, head of the provincial Market Control Department, at the meeting.

Leaders of local tourist businesses attending the event also contributed their thoughts on existing issues regarding tourism in the province, including unhealthy competition, a lack of entertainment for tourists, and troublesome administrative inspection on travelers.

Nguyen Ngoc Nghien, manager of an accommodation establishment named Anh Linh, recounted a moment when a delegation of Vietnamese officials carried out inspection on the tourists staying at the facility.

“It took them hours to complete simple procedures. We were really concerned for the travelers but we could not help them,” Nghien stated.

He proposed that local authorities think about the tourists, and not pose difficulties for tourist businesses nor annoyance to travelers in an effort to boost tourism in the province.

Other business operators addressed the shortcomings seen at the Phong Nha – Ke Bang, a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Quang Binh, including poor infrastructure, security, and power supplies among others.

The unstable electricity supply has caused expensive equipment at several hotels in the national park to be damaged, said Nguyen Ngoc, an accommodation venue manager at the location.

Ngoc added that some foreign travelers had been injured after accidentally falling into manholes that were not properly covered.

In response to the problems, Chairman Hoai said that competent authorities have been discussing solutions and will resolve the issues prior to the end of May.

“I hope that each citizen in Quang Binh will collaborate with authorities to help develop and promote local tourism,” the official concluded.