ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city plans to establish a tourism police force as a pilot project to boost security for tourists and the tourism environment in the 2016-20 period.

The city’s administration said in a statement yesterday the plan was proposed at a meeting with the party Central Economic Committee on Thursday.

It said the tourism police would deal with tourism-related problems – harassment, traffic, emergencies, support and security – for tourists, especially foreign tourists.

Vice chairman of the city’s People’s Committee Hồ Kỳ Minh asked the central government to create a favourable policy on investment and finance for Đà Nẵng to develop as an economic and tourism centre in the central region.

Minh said the city had been seeking funds for the development of fishing ports, forest protection, food safety and tourism promotion.

Director of the city’s tourism department Ngô Quang Vinh said the central government should create a preferential mechanism for tourism investors as the industry was a major breadwinner for the city.

The city also asked the central government to allow it and neighbouring Huế City and Quảng Nam Province to open representative offices abroad to promote tourism and grant visas on arrival to tourists.

The city has also proposed a pilot project to launch a double-deck bus system to ease traffic congestion and serve tourists.

Đà Nẵng hosted 4.6 million tourists last year, of which 1.25 million were foreigners.

The city has developed 521 resorts and hotels with 19,000 rooms.

Tourist real estate remains a favourite investment magnet in this central city, attracting 25 foreign direct investment projects worth US$1.8 billion.

The city has so far developed 16 tourist property projects consisting of 749 villas, of which 609 are for sale and 140 for lease. — VNS