In response to acts of exploiting tourism demand, customer trust, and the reputation of the tourism industry for personal gain, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and tourism and travel businesses in the area are intensifying efforts to raise awareness and prevent fraudulent activities in the tourism sector. This is not only because such behavior is contrary to the nature of the tourism industry, but also because it is crucial to help people clearly distinguish between consumer tourism services and long-term financial contracts.
Suggesting product and service selection options.
Speaking with a reporter from the Vietnam News Agency (TTXVN), Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Deputy General Director of Viet Travel Company, pointed out that in regular tourism, people and tourists find tours, destinations, and prices themselves. However, in suspicious vacation packages, tourists are enticed with gifts, free vouchers, lucky draws, and especially hour-long closed-door seminars. Simultaneously, contracts often hide or conceal terms of use, additional fees, cancellation and refund conditions, or are written in a way that makes refunds virtually impossible for tourists, with termination fees almost equaling the amount already paid. Therefore, if people and tourists find their right to cancel or complain unusually restricted in the contract, they should stop signing.
Mr. Vu also warned that people and tourists should only buy tours, rooms, tickets, etc., when they know exactly where they will go, where they will stay, on which days, and for how many nights. In particular, people and tourists must clearly distinguish between a tour package, which is a consumer service, and "timeshare" or "holiday cards," which are long-term financial contracts.
Sharing the same viewpoint, Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour Travel Company, analyzed that a safe travel transaction must have a contract or service confirmation clearly stating the itinerary, hotel standards, transportation, included and excluded costs, cancellation/postponement conditions, responsibilities of both parties, and support channels in case of issues… Important commitments that are not included in the contract should be reviewed by locals and tourists because this is the basis for protecting their rights.
“At Vietluxtour, we always recommend that customers conduct transactions through official channels, make payments to the company's legal account, and retain all necessary documentation. A safe trip doesn't begin on the day of departure, but from the moment the customer chooses the right travel partner,” Ms. Thu emphasized.
Many tourism and travel businesses in Ho Chi Minh City have also stated that they always cooperate closely with authorities to strictly handle fraudulent activities disguised as tourism. This is because it not only protects the public but also safeguards a healthy business environment for reputable tourism and travel businesses.
Vietnam's tourism industry is making very positive strides, with the number of international and domestic tourists continuously increasing in recent years, demonstrating the growing attractiveness of Vietnam as a destination. However, reality also shows that as tourism demand recovers and grows strongly, fraudulent forms of business impersonation, such as fake fan pages, websites, hotlines, consulting accounts, or opaque "holiday" models, have more opportunities to reach customers. This places a higher demand on the entire market: Rapid growth must be accompanied by higher standards of transparency.
Sharing her travel experience, Ms. Hoang Van, an office worker from Tan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, believes that the most important factor when choosing a tour is not the cheapest price, but the transparency and reputation of the organizing company. Before booking a tour, her family usually thoroughly researches the company, reads reviews from previous customers, and checks the terms regarding the itinerary, included services, and cancellation policy. The family is also wary of programs advertised with excessively low prices or unusual offers. Practical experience from both domestic and international travel shows that many cheap tours often incur unexpected costs or reduce the quality of service, resulting in a less-than-expected experience.
Identifying profiteering behavior
From the perspective of regulatory authorities, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism has been actively disseminating information to the public and tourists about eight new tricks and schemes used to profit through "vacation ownership" and "holiday cards," which can be identified as: Virtual gifts - a signing trap; impersonation of major brands; limited-time offers; profitable investments - buyback guarantees; monthly installment loans from banks; hidden fees; loyalty cards; and legal entity conversion. Therefore, the public and tourists should not sign any contracts without first verifying the travel business license of the enterprise as required by regulations and carefully reviewing the draft contract.
A representative from the Department of Tourism stated that residents and tourists should prioritize choosing national-branded travel companies with fixed offices in Ho Chi Minh City. Residents and tourists should verify the authenticity by contacting the hotels and resorts listed in the affiliate program to confirm whether they are affiliated with the company making the offer. In case of detecting any signs of fraud, they should immediately report it to the relevant authorities.
Statistics show that, through reviewing the area and receiving complaints from citizens, from June 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City Police simultaneously inspected tourism businesses suspected of fraud and misappropriation of assets, such as: Happy Family Holiday Trading and Service Company Limited, First Class Membership Joint Stock Company, YTS Company Limited, Yes International Company Limited, Paradise Travel Tourism and Travel Service Company Limited, Invest Trip Company Limited, Mariana Bay Group, Meli Club Company, League of Resorts (LORS) Company, Ravi Company, and JJ Travel Company… Initial investigations determined that these were organized criminal networks operating under the guise of tourism businesses to commit acts of "fraud and misappropriation of assets," using extremely sophisticated and professional methods and tactics, targeting the desire to invest in and "own vacations" and the need to transfer travel packages. profit for the people.
The investigation revealed that 11 companies were offering and advertising travel packages in the form of vacation stays with many amenities and profits for customers who invested in purchasing vacation contracts and owning vacation cards. However, in reality, the travel packages and benefits offered by the companies were fictitious, and the companies did not fulfill their commitments to customers. The perpetrators illegally collected and purchased personal data, then called customers to invite them to the company to receive a free 3-day, 2-night vacation or customer appreciation programs. In essence, this was just a "lure" to bring customers to the company's headquarters to participate in consultations and product presentations, and to carry out fraudulent activities through the guise of travel.
The Ho Chi Minh City Police Investigation Agency has initiated legal proceedings in 11 cases (involving 11 companies), indicting nearly 200 defendants (including directors and employees) for fraud and misappropriation of assets. During searches, authorities seized 5,563 contracts, with the perpetrators misappropriating 612 billion VND. Preliminary findings indicate that the highest amount misappropriated from a single customer was 8.5 billion VND across 42 contracts, while the lowest amount was 30 million VND per contract.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/du-lich/phong-chong-lua-dao-qua-cac-hinh-thuc-du-lich-20260624124446779.htm
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