Immediately eliminate the 'rip-off' mindset that tarnishes the image of Vietnamese tourism

Recently, IShowSpeed ​​- a famous YouTuber and streamer with 29.8 million followers on YouTube came to Vietnam to participate in an event taking place in Ho Chi Minh City.

However, on September 14, during his tour, this guy was "charged" 1 million VND/hour when renting an electric balance bike at Nguyen Hue walking street - one of the famous tourist destinations in Ho Chi Minh City. Although the amount of money "ripped off" was not too large, this action quickly spread on social networks, tarnishing the image of Vietnam in the international community.

Immediately after receiving the information, Ben Nghe Ward Police, District 1 quickly began investigating. Those involved in the incident were invited to the headquarters to work on the night of September 14.

After working with the authorities, the group realized their mistake and went to the hotel where IShowSpeed ​​was staying to apologize. IShowSpeed's representative accepted the apology, received the money back, and thanked the authorities for handling the case quickly.

People renting out self-balancing electric scooters in streamer IshowSpeed's clip - (Screenshot).

Not just an isolated incident, this action highlights a business mindset that has long existed in the tourism and service industry in Vietnam, which is the "rip-off" mindset. Foreign tourists, even those with travel experience, often fall victim to price gouging tricks.

This not only happens in Ho Chi Minh City but also spreads to many other places. For example, in Hanoi, especially the Old Quarter - where there are many tourists - there have been many cases of vendors "ripping off" tourists, causing public outrage and all of which have been strictly handled by the authorities, publicly and transparently. Cases include selling a small bag of apples for 200,000 VND, selling 4 donuts for 50,000 VND, "ripping off" a baked sweet potato for 80,000 VND...

Or in 2019, a French tourist couple shared on social media how they were “ripped off” by a restaurant in Hoi An when paying the bill. The amount they had to pay was many times higher than the usual price, tarnishing the impression of the ancient city famous for its hospitality.

Some tourists have also shared their experiences of being forced into unwanted services. Max Foulds, a tourist, told of a street vendor cleaning his shoes without asking for a price. Although not a serious problem, such experiences still affect tourists’ psychology and feelings about our country.

Ms. Le Thanh Thao, President of the Hanoi Tourism Association, pointed out that "rip-off" behaviors are making tourists wary and no longer feel comfortable when traveling. This not only affects the quality of tourism programs but also pushes back tourists' desire to return to destinations.

According to statistics, in August 2024, international visitors to Vietnam reached 1.43 million, an increase of 17.7% over the same period last year. In the first 8 months of 2024, international visitors to Vietnam reached more than 11.4 million, an increase of 45.8% over the same period last year and an increase of 1% over the same period in 2019 - the year when the Covid-19 pandemic had not yet occurred.

It can be seen that the recovery of our country's tourism industry is very impressive. Especially for the international tourist market. Vietnam has huge tourism potential, from beautiful natural landscapes, unique culture to friendly people. But if we cannot change our thinking and the way we do business, Vietnam may gradually lose its appeal to international tourists. The problem of price gouging is not only the personal actions of a few business people but also partly reflects the thinking in the service style of many places.

From the IshowSpeed ​​case, we can see that the 'price gouging' mindset makes Vietnam's image ugly in the eyes of tourists - (Screenshot).

Mr. Pham Hai Quynh - Director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute, emphasized that it is necessary to strengthen propaganda and education to raise public awareness in serving tourists, only then can we exploit and develop sustainable tourism. At the same time, local authorities need to have stricter control measures over the activities of street vendors. At the same time, monitor and strictly handle violations of the law. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the camera system and improve security in tourist areas to ensure the safety of tourists.

The “rip-off” mentality is not only a price issue but also reflects a dishonest business practice that deeply damages the country’s image. When international tourists come to Vietnam, they expect to experience the culture, people, and hospitable services. However, when faced with being overcharged, those good expectations quickly disappear.

Instead of being impressed by the beautiful landscapes or rich culture, many tourists leave feeling exploited and disrespected. This not only makes them lose confidence in Vietnam’s tourism industry, but also risks creating complaints and criticisms in international forums, making Vietnam’s image worse in the eyes of friends around the world. In the era of social media development, negative incidents can spread quickly, causing huge and long-term damage to the tourism industry, which is one of the country’s economic pillars.

Faced with the situation of "price gouging" that is damaging the image of Vietnam tourism, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has taken specific actions to improve the situation. The agency requires localities to direct tourism management boards, travel agencies and tourism service establishments to strengthen self-inspection and supervision, in order to maintain service quality and ensure food safety and hygiene, as well as the environment at tourist destinations.

Businesses are required to strictly comply with regulations on registration and public price posting, placing price lists at reception areas and other easily observable locations, helping tourists access information before using the service. Arbitrary price increases or price gouging are completely prohibited, in order to prevent negative impacts on the reputation and image of Vietnam's tourism industry in the eyes of international tourists.

Authorities should set up a hotline to facilitate tourists to report issues related to price gouging, thereby promptly handling and publicizing violations. In addition, applying strict sanctions to businesses that commit fraud and price gouging will create a strong deterrent, contributing to preventing this problem from recurring.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/tu-vu-ishowspeed-loai-bo-ngay-tu-duy-chat-chem-lam-xau-xi-hinh-anh-du-lich-viet-nam-346255.html