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"Rip-off" targeting foreign tourists in Vietnam has long been a thorny issue for the tourism industry, negatively impacting the country's image in the eyes of the international community. Most recently, this was exemplified by the incident on September 16, 2024, on Nguyen Hue pedestrian street in Ho Chi Minh City, involving IShowSpeed, a popular American YouTuber and streamer with 29.8 million followers on YouTube.
Notably, the price gouging occurred during an IShowSpeed livestream, quickly spreading on social media and causing a stir online. Specifically, this YouTuber encountered an unfortunate situation where they were asked to pay 1 million VND for just 5 minutes of electric scooter rental, while the usual rental price in the area is only a few tens of thousands of VND for the same duration.
Immediately after the incident went viral, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism quickly intervened, conducting an investigation and clarifying the matter. The young man providing the electric scooter rental service was fined 10 million VND for his unreasonable price gouging. The Department also issued an official apology to IShowSpeed and publicly committed to protecting the rights of tourists to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. This timely action somewhat mitigated the negative consequences of the incident, but also highlighted a major issue in tourism service management.
YouTuber Ishowspeed was subjected to harsh criticism live on stream and received a barrage of negative comments from viewers.
The problem of price gouging is not just a few isolated cases but has become a perennial issue in Vietnam's tourism industry, appearing in everything from transportation and food to shopping, creating a negative image of Vietnam in the eyes of foreign tourists. Incidents like the IShowSpeed case are just the tip of the iceberg, as many tourists have complained about being unfairly overcharged for various tourism services.
In May 2024 in Hanoi, two French tourists were asked by a taxi driver to pay 500,000 VND for a very short distance, about 1 km, from Tran Nhat Duat Street to Cho Gao Street. When the driver discovered their passports had been left behind in the car, he returned them but demanded an additional 500,000 VND as ransom from the unlucky passengers. This incident was widely reported on social media and caused a public outcry.
Two unlucky French tourists
The taxi and the driver who ripped them off twice.
Previously, in 2023, a similar incident occurred involving a Vietnamese-American couple who were overcharged for a boat trip in Vinh Hy, Ninh Thuan. According to their account, the couple paid nearly double the price charged to Vietnamese citizens for the same service on a seafood tour. They were extremely disappointed, especially since the boat driver offered no reasonable explanation and simply smiled dismissively in response to their questioning.
According to many tourism experts, price gouging often stems from the misconception among some service providers that "foreign tourists have a lot of money," leading them to try to fleece tourists with unreasonable prices. This not only damages the personal reputation of the business owners but, more importantly, affects the country's image in the eyes of the international community. While price gouging may yield short-term gains, it leaves long-term consequences when tourists become disappointed and share negative experiences on online platforms.
Let's ensure that foreign visitors to Vietnam no longer encounter these ugly "negative aspects".
To address this issue, publicly listing prices and strengthening business controls at tourist destinations are essential. Furthermore, training service providers on their responsibility to maintain the national image is also crucial. In addition, tourists should be encouraged to report dishonest behavior immediately so that authorities can take timely action. The power of social media also plays a significant role in quickly and promptly disseminating information. However, it should be noted that information on social media is sometimes exaggerated or misinterpreted, so everyone needs to carefully verify information before sharing it.
The IShowSpeed case serves as a reminder that, for Vietnam to truly become an attractive destination, honesty and transparency in business are key factors. This will not only help retain tourists but also enhance Vietnam's reputation on the international tourism map.
