The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has begun taking action against Chinese nationals failing to obey local laws during their trips to the country’s famous tourism destinations following numerous news reports of inappropriate behavior.

An increasing number of Chinese citizens are spending their holidays in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa, home to the renowned beach town of Nha Trang and the central city of Da Nang.

However, the influx of Chinese tourists, has given rise to tensions and associations are being drawn between Chinese vacationers and issues including unlicensed Chinese tour guides, paying in Chinese yuan, and burning the Vietnamese banknotes.

Under Vietnamese law, all payments within Vietnam should be made in the local currency and foreigners are prohibited from working as tour guides for trips within the country.

On Wednesday, the VNAT sent a dispatch, signed by deputy chief Ngo Hoai Chung, to its Chinese counterpart with complaints regarding these issues.

“We request that the National Tourism Administration of China review these complaints and bring sanctions against travel firms that operate within violation of Vietnamese law,” the document reads.

The VNAT official also sent two separate fiats to authorities in Khanh Hoa and Da Nang, requesting that they take action to prevent Chinese tourists from offending the law.

The tourism watchdog demanded that the Khanh Hoa administration inspect business that are suspected as being registered under Vietnamese names but are instead run by Chinese owners.

Illegal Chinese tour guides usually take their compatriot tourists to these facilities to enjoy hefty commissions. The shops also accept payment in the CNY instead of VND currency.

“Any violator of these regulations should be subject to civil fine and deported from Khanh Hoa immediately,” Chung stated in his request.

As for Da Nang, Chung demanded that the city’s tourism department clarify reports of illegal Chinese tour guides providing distorted accounts of Vietnamese history to their guests.

According to Da Nang tour guides, the Chinese often describe beaches in the Vietnamese city as belonging to China. Some even say Vietnam used to be a part of China in the 14^th century.

All beaches in Da Nang belong to the East Vietnam Sea.

“If these reports are confirmed true, the tourism department should ask the municipal administration to levy hefty administrative fines and deport detractors,” the VNAT official requested.

The VNAT has also worked with the Da Nang police department to verify the entries of the Chinese nationals.

“If they are found to enter Da Nang on tourist visas in order to illegally conduct business, we will levy sanctions and ask them to leave the city,” Chung said