Recently, mass communications keep reporting about acts of overcharging, cheating, scamming against tourists in some locals. The arising phenomena not only affect image of Vietnam in general and Vietnam tourism in particular but also worry and concern managers of authorized agencies, especially tourism sector.
Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy General Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism admitted phenomena of scamming , inviting domestic and international tourists with insistence have been remaining for a very long time and tendency to go sophisticated and even with high-tech application. Besides overcharge incidents such as rising price of cyclos, cabs, hotels, restaurants and other services, phenomenon of following and insisting tourists to buy items by vendors in Hanoi, Sapa, Hue, Ho Chi Minh also creates a bad impression of Vietnam and Vietnamese people in the eyes of foreign tourists. Although the authorities of center and locals have some actions and intervention but this issue is still not handled thoroughly. This is really an apressing problem to those who care about Vietnam tourism, especially people working in this field.
In response to the idea that the punishment for this kind of violation in tourism industry is still light with administrative treatments such as fine, warning which do not have high deterrence value and that the government should have stricter measures (such as punishment of permanent business prohibition to hotels, taxi drivers attempting to overcharge tourists), Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong said that management and related agencies has proposed treatments which have more value of deterrence, propaganda, public education for sectors and levels to raise responsibilities in organizing tourism activities; and promulgated legislation documents which enhance sanction forms and treatments for tourism violation.