Having traveled to many destinations around the world, I am always mindful about how much money I carry, how much do products and services cost, and what exactly should I pay for. Vietnam, which attracted a record 21.2 million foreign tourists last year, has a disturbing trend of foreign tourists getting overcharged for services and products, according to a VnExpress news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…
Gouging tourists is giving Vietnam a bad name despite its sustained promotional efforts, insiders warn.
They want the authorities to hike fines manifold and deploy technology-based monitoring systems to prevent the insidious practice.
Chi Mai, 35, a Hanoi-based tour guide whose family has lived in the capital for three generations, says incidents of overcharging have become so common that they no longer surprise locals.
“Even residents buying 200 grams of pickled fruit in the Old Quarter without first checking the price can be charged double. It’s not surprising that foreign tourists are asked to pay four or five times.”
The repeated reports of such instances leave her disheartened, she says.
“If authorities fail to tackle this issue in a decisive manner, Vietnam’s international tourism promotion efforts will prove ineffective.”
On Feb. 24 an American tourist was charged VND1 million (US$38) for a seven-kilometer trip, 14 times the usual fare, by a motorbike-taxi driver in Hanoi. The driver admitted to the violation, apologized to the tourist and promised not to repeat the act.
Earlier cases also drew attention. In January Hanoi authorities fined a street vendor for charging two foreign tourists nearly four times the normal price of a conical hat.
In July 2025 a group of Filipino tourists were charged VND1.4 million ($53) for a taxi ride of less than 1 km, 50 times the normal fare.
Two months later an Australian family reportedly paid VND1.2 million for a cyclo trip, three times the regulated rate.
Overcharging and aggressive solicitation are not confined to Hanoi and have been reported across other tourist hubs such as Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.
Nguyen Tien Dat, CEO of Hanoi-based tour operator AZA Travel, says overcharging tends to occur more frequently in destinations with large numbers of international visitors.
He recounts a personal experience in Da Nang where a taxi driver took a longer route from the airport while Dat was on a phone call. Only after he protested strongly did the driver adjust the fare.
“Even veteran tourism professionals such as tour guides and travel agency executives can fall victim to such practices, and international visitors are even more exposed,” Mai says, adding she has frequently intervened to help tourists resolve pricing disputes.
Tran Trung Hieu, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, acknowledges that gouging remains an issue, particularly in areas such as the Old Quarter and during major festivals.
Failure to publicly display prices and forcing customers to make purchases are fraudulent practices, he says.
The department has established a tourist hotline and increased security presence on pedestrian streets during weekends, he says.
“Price gouging, at worst, discourages visitors from returning.“
In Da Nang, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has formed a rapid response team to address complaints and conducts regular inspections of tourism service providers.
There are task forces to monitor commercial fraud, counterfeit goods and non-compliance with pricing regulations.
Authorities on Phu Quoc Island recently established a tourism rapid response team to protect visitors and address service-related concerns amid a tourism boom.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? If you were able to travel overseas over the past twelve months, were you excessively charged for a service or for a product you purchased? Does the trend of overcharging tourists in Vietnam discourage you from visiting the country? Do you think the authorities in Vietnam will be able to solve the problems?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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