Tourist chiefs discuss rip-offs
Tourist-support centres at Da Nang Airport.— Photo vtvdanang
HA NOI (VNS)—Tourist-support centres and tourist police may be needed to prevent tourists from being overcharged, robbed and swindled by local services.
A proposal to this effect was made yesterday by tourism experts nationwide who said the scams were the main reason for a decline in foreign tourists.
They were speaking at an online meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan.
Statistics from the National Steering Committee on Tourism show that the numbers of foreign tourists have fallen by 1.4-1.8 per cent compared to the same period last year
Le Thanh Dung, deputy chairman of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province said the prices of services at hotels and restaurants had risen unreasonably.
And, he said, more tourists were becoming the victims of swindling.
Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, deputy chairwoman of Ha Noi’s People’s Committee said punishment for swindlers were not strict enough. Offenders usually just pay a fine of VND150,000.
Dung and other leaders said tourist support centres should be able to receive urgent calls and take quick action.
La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of HCM City Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, said tourist police operations existed in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Laos.- VNS