Holiday Season 30.4 – 1.5: Tourists as Easy Prey for Exploitation

With a keen eye for lucrative business opportunities, many regions have exerted great efforts to attract tourists, yet in numerous places, tourists are seen merely as easy prey for exploitation.

The More, The Merrier

In Khanh Hoa province, acknowledging that 'island beach tours remain the top priority' for tourists during this year's April 30th and May 1st holiday, local authorities have taken proactive steps. Since the afternoon of April 26th, as the influx of visitors to Nha Trang increased, especially for island tours, the Tourism Service Pier Management Board in Nha Trang has mobilized manpower and increased the number of boats by 3-4 times the usual amount, along with extending Vinpearl Land's service hours to 14 hours/day to meet tourist demand.

This year's holiday coincides with the Thap Ba Festival, attracting about 100,000 pilgrims daily, yet security and order in the area are ensured. Due to strict local management, any attempts to manipulate prices or engage in dishonest practices will be swiftly dealt with upon tourists' complaints. According to the local tourism department's quick report, during the 5-day holiday, around 500,000 tourists visited Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa, a 30% increase compared to last year's holiday period.

Similarly, tourists flocked to heritage sites like My Son, Hoi An (Quang Nam) in unprecedented numbers during the holiday. The number of visitors to the Champa temple heritage site My Son doubled compared to the same period last year, with a 20% increase in international visitors. The newly opened My Son community homestay tourism village was fully booked. Meanwhile, in the ancient town of Hoi An (Hoi An City), during this extended holiday, an average of 5,000 tourists visited daily, with most resorts and hotels fully occupied.

In the region of Quang Binh, Mr. Le Thanh Loi - Director of Phong Nha-Ke Bang Tourism Center - revealed that tourist routes and attractions in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park have attracted over 23,000 visitors, marking a 15% increase compared to the same period last year. The number of foreign tourists has notably risen this year, prompting the center to mobilize all available personnel and operate 312 boats at full capacity to serve tourists.

Mr. Hoang Van Tien - Head of the Management Board of beaches in Dong Hoi City - reported that over 10,000 tourists visited the beaches in Nhat Le during the holiday season, marking a 22% increase from the previous year. Most hotels and guesthouses in Dong Hoi City were fully booked due to the surge in tourist numbers, coinciding with the Dong Hoi Cultural and Tourism Week 2013, featuring activities such as culinary festivals and traditional cultural events.

According to feedback from tourists, there were no reports of overpricing at restaurants, hotels, or eateries, but prices for accommodation and seafood items still saw a 15-20% increase compared to normal times.

Indulging in Carefree Overcharging

In contrast to areas that view tourism as an economic asset and an opportunity for local promotion, there are still places where authorities turn a blind eye to tourists being exploited. For instance, in Ba Ria-Vung Tau - a renowned tourist destination in the southern provinces - hotel room rates double during this period, and prices for various beach services are also hiked up.

According to statistics from the Vung Tau Tourism Management Board, the region welcomed around 170,000 tourists, but the majority were day-trippers. As per Saigon - Binh Chau Tourist Company (Xuyen Moc), over 13,000 visitors came for recreation and services during the 5-day holiday period, but only about 2,800 opted for overnight stays.

Tourist area and hotel Thuy Duong (Dat Do district) welcomed over 5,000 beach-goers, but only about 400 stayed overnight. The high room rental prices during the holiday resulted in most tourists returning home the same day with their own food and drinks, leading to only a slight increase in tourism revenue. It is known that on April 30th, many hotels in Vung Tau still displayed 'available rooms' signs and actively invited guests.

In Ho Chi Minh City, taking advantage of the influx of people to entertainment areas during the holidays, many self-established parking lots overcharged for parking fees, ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 VND per motorbike. On the night of April 30th, in crowded gathering areas to watch fireworks, especially at the area under Thu Thiem Bridge, makeshift parking lots emerged with fees of 20,000 VND per vehicle. At Suoi Tien tourist area, there are many parking spots near the entrance with clearly stated parking fees of 10,000 VND per motorbike...

A prime example of overcharging is the Bai Chay tourist area (Halong City). While prices for other services are well managed, parking fees at Bai Chay tourist area have skyrocketed at most fixed and makeshift parking spots. The highest prices are 50,000 VND per motorbike per entry; for cars, guests have to pay 100,000 VND per entry. Particularly, parking fees at makeshift parking lots increase based on the density of vehicles in the lot.

Even a cruise ship owner in Ha Long Bay like Mr. Nguyen Van Minh was overcharged when he had to pay 50,000 VND for parking his motorbike once: 'When there are few vehicles, they charge lower prices, but when the parking lot is full, prices soar, but we have to accept it because we don't know where else to park.'

Ms. Tran Thi Tam (Cao Thang ward, Halong City) just returned from Bai Chay and expressed her frustration: 'Even as a native of Halong, I was still overcharged, having to pay 100,000 VND per car per entry, what about people from other places?' According to the feedback from residents and tourists, disputes 'like a cattle market' often occur between guests and parking attendants at many parking lots due to exorbitant prices.

Contacting the hotline of the Quang Ninh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, we received the answer: The Department is aware and has reported to the local authorities for resolution. It is known that at a conference on rectifying tourism activities in Halong, the provincial People's Committee leaders declared: Any commune or ward where disorderly pricing occurs will be fully responsible.

Discussing the 'cost of exploitation,' Deputy Chairman of Cua Lo town - Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tien - revealed: In 2005, tourism in Cua Lo suffered a bitter failure as tourists didn't return. It was the consequence of lax management, allowing businesses to freely exploit tourists. Rectifying this mistake took many years, with the government and people of Cua Lo having to tightly regulate the prices of tourism services, with unanimous support from everyone. Can the experience of Cua Lo tourism serve as a lesson for other tourist destinations?

Source: Mytour Travel Handbook - According to: Labor.