VietNamNet Bridge – Travel firms prove to be very professional in soothing travelers with sweet words. That explains why many people fell into the firms’ traps, and they only realized that they were swindled after experiencing terrible trips.

Foreign travelers in Hanoi apprehensive of theft

Overcharging foreign travelers tarnish Vietnam’s image

Xuan Thanh, 30, in Hoang Mai district in Hanoi, is one of the travelers who have experienced a terrible trip to Da Lat.

“I booked a tour to Da Lat, and I thought I made a good deal. The tour was dirt cheap, just VND1 million for 3 days and 2 nights. However, I now feel regret for choosing the tour,” Thanh said.

“I have realized why the tour was so cheap,” he added.

The travel firm promised to arrange rooms at a 2-star hotel, but it was just a guest house which proclaimed itself as a hotel. Thanh and his family members had to stay in cramped and damp rooms.

“The meals were frugal with just some dishes. The drivers and tour guides were so unfriendly. I was scolded when I made complaints,” Thanh said. “What do you expect when you book a low cost tour? You get what you pay for.”

Thuy in Tan Binh district in HCM City was in the same situation. She booked a tour to the sea city of Nha Trang at VND1.4 million, which included the ticket for cable.

“I was so happy because I could book a tour at a reasonable price. However, in fact, this was a miserable one,” Thuy said.

“There was nothing more except some daily dishes and boiled vegetables. The tour guide disappeared when we came to the tourist site. We were told that we could go what we wanted before we had to come back on schedule,” she added.

The hotel was located near the beach, but it was so terrible and suffocated. However, Thuy still was asked to pay an extra sum of VND100,000. The hotel explained that it was in the high season, where the demand for accommodations was very high, and it needed to collect surcharges.

Though the surcharge was not mentioned in the contract signed with the travel firm, Thuy could do nothing except to pay the extra money, or she would be asked to leave the hotel.

Minh Long in Tay Ho district booked a tour from Hanoi to Cua Lo Beach which was design to last 3 days and 2 nights. With the offered discount of 40 percent, Long had to pay VND1,399,000.

However, VND1,399,000 was not the sum of money Long had to pay for the trip. He was told to pay VND250,000 per person in surcharge, because the tour was “at the weekend.”

“I’d rather to pay VND250,000 more to book the tour at weekend. If I changed my mind and booked the tour on normal days, I would have to ask the managers for a leave. If so, I would have a part of my salary cut. The part might be higher than VND250,000,” he said.

However, the problem was that Long was not warned about the surcharge until he came to the travel firm to sign the contract.

However, even when Long accepted to pay additional money, he still received bad services. The travel firm advertised that the tour guides were enthusiastic and friendly. However, in fact, the tour guide who came together with Long and others did not accompany the tourists to many points.

Duy Anh