Streamer IshowSpeed ​​was ripped off; Ho Chi Minh City needs to establish more regulated tourism services.

Streamer IshowSpeed ​​gets ripped off on the streets of downtown Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: FB

Just a few hours after the incident was reported, authorities found the suspect and dealt with those involved in the viral video of a foreign streamer visiting Vietnam on the evening of September 14th.

Although the tourists have been apologized to and compensated for the damages, many believe that stopping at this level of punishment only addresses the symptoms. As long as the chaotic street vending and services in the central streets of Ho Chi Minh City persist, price gouging will continue.

The scene of price gouging is livestreamed to the world.

IshowSpeed, a top-rated global streamer, came to Vietnam for an event and a vacation . On the evening of September 14th, he explored the city and livestreamed his experience in Vietnam for the whole world to see.

Statistics show that the livestream on the IshowSpeed ​​YouTube channel on the evening of September 14th attracted over 5.5 million views and more than 9,666 comments.

While on Nguyen Hue pedestrian street, this streamer wanted to try out a self-balancing electric scooter in a crowded tourist area and was charged $100 by a vendor. After the streamer handed over a 500,000 VND note, the vendor demanded another note. In total, this "tourist" had to pay one million VND for a short ride of the electric scooter lasting only a few minutes.

On social media, the "event lasting about 40 seconds" caused frustration and disappointment among many people.

Mr. P. Chung (Ho Chi Minh City) exclaimed: "This ugly act of price gouging tarnishes the image of tourism and the country of Vietnam. I still don't understand why they can overcharge even while people are live streaming? What about other normal tourist transactions?"

Similarly, many people have gone to this streamer's channel to apologize and express their shame for the experience he had while in Vietnam.

In fact, it's not just foreign tourists who are ripped off; domestic tourists and even those working in the tourism industry also suffer the consequences. Hung Phuong (a resident of Ho Chi Minh City) said that he recently led a group of relatives from abroad to Vietnam for a shopping trip to a market.

"I wanted to buy a pair of plastic sandals, but the seller quoted a price of 150,000 dong. I haggled it down to 120,000 dong, and the vendor immediately sold them. Later, a friend recommended another place where I could buy a similar pair for only 40,000 dong," Mr. Phuong recounted.

The guests were very pleased with the beautiful scenery and Vietnamese cuisine until they went shopping.

How can we put an end to price gouging?

Ms. Nguyen Thi Khanh, president of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, said that overcharging tourists is a serious problem that the association is always concerned about when working with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism.

Eliminating the practice of overcharging tourists is a desire of the city's tourism businesses, along with the need to re-establish tourism services and products in a more orderly manner. The association has repeatedly coordinated and worked with the department to find solutions to the overcharging problem, but occasional cases still occur.

"Given its status as the economic and tourism hub of the country, the image of Ho Chi Minh City as a tourist destination could be affected by this incident. We are building a high-end tourist destination, catering to meeting-stakeholders, a city of events… so this incident is very regrettable," Ms. Khanh said.

Many international tourists, while praising Vietnam for its peaceful atmosphere, delicious food, and reasonable prices, still remind each other that "many markets and roadside stalls overcharge tourists."

Mr. Vu The Binh, chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, also expressed regret that many people working in the Vietnamese tourism industry thought they were "ripping off" international tourists, but in reality, they were squandering opportunities.

To put an end to this situation, businesses have requested that authorities mandate clear price listing for all services and eliminate unauthorized services and street vendors in key tourist areas.

The director of a major travel company specializing in the Japanese market stated that experience from developing tourism in Japan shows that prices of goods and services are generally clearly and publicly listed, from train tickets to food and accommodation. Large businesses or chain stores rarely engage in unreasonable price increases.

In major tourist destinations like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, or areas like Shinjuku or Harajuku, prices may be higher than in the average local area, but this is largely due to location differences and operating costs, not price gouging.

Most importantly, authorities must closely monitor and regulate informal services such as street vendors and spontaneous services to prevent fraud or price gouging. In addition, they can also rely on community feedback.

"For example, we could create platforms or applications where tourists can easily rate and share their experiences with services at tourist destinations. These reviews would help management agencies better monitor service quality, and at the same time help other tourists avoid places that overcharge," the director suggested.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/streamer-ishowspeed-bi-chat-chem-tp-hcm-can-thiet-lap-dich-vu-du-lich-quy-cu-hon-2024091517131949.htm