Inter-agency inspection teams stopped vehicles transporting cruise ship tourists from Chan May Port and found that they did not meet the required conditions.

Chaos and creating a bad image.

When the ship docked at Chan May Port, besides those who had booked tours with travel agencies, a large number of passengers went outside the port area. There, numerous vehicles and people were waiting. Many signs with the names of foreigners were displayed, and some people approached passengers soliciting their business. Except for cases where prices had been agreed upon beforehand, price gouging occurred right at the pick-up point. From what I overheard, some people were quoting prices of around 50-100 USD for tours of Da Nang and Hoi An. This price gouging and passenger pick-up outside the port area created a negative image, leaving many passengers shaking their heads in dismay.

Speaking with several people who greet tourists, some admitted they only knew the tourists' names through online searches. Beyond that, they were completely unaware of any other information. Among them were those working in transportation services, such as taxi drivers. They negotiate prices directly with tourists, bypassing cruise ship agencies and avoiding port fees, making it easy for them to offer lower prices if the tourists want a cheaper fare.

The situation of organizations, companies, and individuals arbitrarily exploiting customers in violation of the law is not new. In February 2024, when we were present at an inter-agency checkpoint to detect and handle this situation, we saw a fairly high percentage of vehicles stopped by authorities for inspection and found to have violations.

Mr. Nguyen Thai Hoa, Chief Inspector of the Department of Tourism, expressed concern that, through inspections, many individuals are operating under the guise of exploiting tourists, legitimizing their activities through transportation contracts; in most of these cases, there is no travel agency organizing the tour, no tour program, no insurance for customers, and they cannot provide the necessary conditions for conducting international travel business.

Many passenger transport vehicles lack tourist vehicle badges; in some cases, when requested by authorities, only a contract from a transport cooperative could be presented, without relevant tourism-related certifications. Furthermore, many documents were not in accordance with regulations, lacking passenger transport contracts and passenger lists.

Inter-agency inspection teams issued fines to those operating and transporting tourists in violation of regulations.

Mr. Le Kim My, Head of Administration at Tan Hong Trading & Tourism Co., Ltd., expressed his frustration, stating that before docking at Vietnamese ports, his company must complete marketing and immigration procedures. However, companies, organizations, and individuals exploit tourists through various illegal methods, creating unfair competition in the tourism business, raising safety concerns for tourists, and negatively impacting the tourism environment.

According to the head of the Department of Tourism, this situation is very concerning, not only tarnishing the image of Hue tourism but also endangering the safety of tourists. The tourism industry always creates favorable conditions for organizations and individuals to participate in the tourism sector, however, they must ensure compliance with legal regulations and guarantee the safety of tourists.

Review and address

In reality, there are cruise ships carrying over 3,000 passengers, but less than half of them book tours before docking; many of the remaining tourists are at risk when purchasing services and tours from touts operating right near the port area.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Director of the Department of Tourism, stated that Thua Thien Hue province identifies tourism as a key economic sector, with cruise tourism being particularly important. Cruise tourism has flourished recently. In 2024, 40 ships registered to dock, carrying 73,097 passengers and 31,228 crew members. However, concerns about the safety of tourists and the damage to Hue's image, which is known for its friendliness and hospitality, have been raised by organizations and individuals exploiting tourism in violation of regulations. In addition to various awareness campaigns and reminders, the tourism sector will continuously coordinate with relevant departments and agencies to review, inspect, and handle violations. The department's stance is to resolutely and decisively address actions that harm the tourism environment of the ancient capital.

Many cruise ship tourists do not board vehicles as part of tour programs organized by travel agencies, but instead go directly to Chan May Port (where companies and individuals are readily available to negotiate prices).

The tourism industry will also work with cruise lines to inform tourists about travel agencies that are legally qualified, offer tour programs, and ensure safety measures are in place, so that tourists can make informed decisions when booking tours.

A representative from Tan Hong Trading & Tourism Co., Ltd. stated that the licensed coordinating company is ready to support other companies by sharing costs, but this must be done through a qualified coordinating unit. The illegal exploitation of tourist passengers must be rectified and dealt with thoroughly.

In the near future, the tourism industry, in coordination with relevant units, will continue to organize inter-agency inspection teams and set up checkpoints at port entry and exit points to promptly detect and handle cases, combined with public awareness campaigns and analysis, in order to combat the situation of service touts operating under the guise of exploiting tourists without meeting the conditions stipulated by law.

MINH TAM