Tourism patrol officers (in green uniforms) help visitors cross the road on Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Street. — Photo hcmcpv.org.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City has approved plans to expand its uniformed tourism patrol force well beyond the downtown area, sending officers to popular coastal and island destinations to guard against aggressive street vending, price-gouging and pickpocketing at some of the city's busiest attractions.

The municipal People's Committee has directed the Youth Volunteers Force to work with the Department of Tourism to scale up the patrol programme, designed to keep order, protect visitors and support the city's reputation as a safe, welcoming place to visit.

The move builds on a pilot that has been running in the city centre, where 248 officers are already stationed at landmarks such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica and the Saigon Central Post Office.

Under the expansion, the Department of Tourism will work with the Youth Volunteers Force and local officials in five wards and special zones – Vũng Tàu, Tam Thắng, Long Hải, Hồ Tràm and Côn Đảo – to identify exactly where patrol officers are needed most.

The Youth Volunteers Force will then deploy staff to each approved site based on demand on the ground.

Officers' duties extend beyond patrols: they will also help and guide tourists and step in to handle, or hand off to police, any violations that affect visitor safety. So far, local governments in those wards and special zones have requested nearly 100 additional officers for their busiest tourist spots.

Officials say the expanded force is intended to do more than deter scams and theft – it should also strengthen emergency response and rescue capabilities at beaches and other crowded areas, and give local authorities extra support on urban order, sanitation and tourism management more broadly. — VNS