Tourist crackdown

French tourist Laurine, who visited HCMC for the first time earlier this month, said before her trip to Vietnam her friends told her she should haggle at half the initial price when buying items in HCMC. When Laurine visited Ben Thanh in downtown area, she was impressed by the beauty of the century-old market with French colonial architecture. She dropped by souvenir stalls inside the market and asked to buy conical hats and small embroidered paintings, but vendors charged her over VND200,000 (US$8.22) for each item. She then negotiated with the vendors and bargained for 50-70% of the initial price. When the vendors refused, she pretended to walk away and they then chased after her, agreeing to sell each item for VND40,000-80,000. "Rip-offs have become a common issue at traditional markets in many Asian countries, not just Vietnam. Therefore, I was not shocked when I was overcharged, but I just didn't know what the real value of the item was, nor what I deserved for the amount … [Read more...] about Tourists wary of rip-offs in HCMC

Boat service for tourists on the Nho Que River, a popular destination in Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam, resumed on Thursday, five days after its suspension. Tu San Agricultural and Tourism Service Cooperative, the only tourist boat service provider on the Nho Que River, located in Meo Vac District, announced on Wednesday that boats transporting tourists to Tu San Canyon through a route to the Nho Que 1 Hydropower Plant would reopen on the Nho Que River from 7:00 am on Thursday. Tu San Canyon, Southeast Asia’s deepest canyon, lies at the foot of the famous Ma Pi Leng Mountain Pass and is surrounded by the Nho Que River. The canyon stretches 1.7 kilometers and features cliffs of up to 800 meters. The resumption came after the directive was issued by the Ha Giang Province People’s Committee and a working session was held between the cooperative, Nho Que 1 Hydropower JSC, which is in charge of arranging boats running through the hydropower plant area, and the Meo Vac District … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Ha Giang restarts tourist boat service on renowned Nho Que River

Under the planning scheme for Yen Bai for 2021-2030 and beyond, approved by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, there will be two large-scale national tourist areas in the province: Thac Ba Lake and Mu Cang Chai. Under the current regulations, the national tourist area must have at least two tourism resources; establishments providing food, shopping, sports, entertainment, recreation, and health care services; accommodation facilities for at least 300,000 visitors per year; and accommodation of four stars or higher. Mu Cang Chai, home to ethnic minority groups, primarily the Hmong people, is a seven hours drive northwest of Hanoi. The remote rural district is famed for its terraced rice fields, which change color depending on the time of the year. Due to its rugged terrain, infrastructure has not yet been developed. In 2022, Mu Cang Chai received 350,000 visitors. Currently the country has seven national tourist areas: Tuyen Lam Lake (Lam Dong), Sa Pa (Lao Cai), Sam Mountain (An … [Read more...] about Remote mountain gem poised to become national tourist area

But thanks to social media rumors and a blockbuster movie, the kingdom's image among many Chinese people is now one of dangerous illegality and seedy scam border compounds - leaving visitor numbers plummeting. Thailand is hugely reliant on tourism, particularly from China. The country welcomed more than 10 million Chinese visitors each year before the Covid-19 pandemic - numbers Bangkok is desperate to see return. But its struggling holiday industry has been hit by viral social media rumors claiming that tourists might be kidnapped and sent across the border to work in brutal scamming compounds in Myanmar or Cambodia. Chinese tourist Jia Xueqiong spent a week in Thailand with her husband and daughter, despite her parents' disapproval. "They felt it was not safe here, and tried to persuade us not to come," the 44-year-old nurse told AFP outside Bangkok's unusually quiet Grand Palace. "All my friends said 'You go first to explore, if it's ok we will follow'," she said. Her … [Read more...] about Blockbuster movie scares Chinese tourists away from Thailand

"A scam is where you have no choice but to pay inflated prices. Nobody is forcing you to buy conical hats or pictures, if you don't think it is worth it then don't buy it." PhnomPenh "Many tourists are frugal and haggle VND5,000 on a VND25,000 banh mi for example. Stop being so cheap, especially when some get up at 4 a.m. to prepare ingredients and drive one hour to the city center to sell a few sandwiches in the searing downtown heat to help support their family. You're haggling over 20 cents with someone who earns $300 a month." kasperhenry "Why at all do you go to markets? Go to shopping malls with lower and fixed prices, air cons and no beggars and no lottery tickets sellers. Everything is cheaper there than on markets, with more comfy shopping experience. Also you can buy some wooden gifts at [...] normal shopping malls sometimes." Teal Burton "A vendor who is charging just around 8 euro for a souvenir does not earn enough to have a holiday overseas. I wonder why … [Read more...] about Tourists overcharged? It’s a two-way street

According to the Ministry of Culture , Sports and Tourism , since the beginning of this year, the sector has welcomed 8 million international arrivals, reaching the set target. The county expects to receive about 12 million foreign visitors this year. Meanwhile, many travel agencies reported good business results. Tour operator Vietravel revealed that in the first eight months of 2023, the company completed up to 80% of its plan on welcoming international tourists , including those from the EU and the Republic of Korea (RoK). Hanoitourist Corporation said it has received many orders from previous months for this year’s peak season. Vietnam has also experienced an upward trend in the number of foreign visitors, such as Cambodia with a rise of nearly 340 percent, India, over 230 percent, and Laos, nearly 120 percent. Several programs have been carried out to welcome international arrivals, and introduce new tourism products to attract new markets, such as Islamic … [Read more...] about Number of international tourists to Vietnam bounces back

The new version of the forms, which are now available, will help shorten the time needed to fill in the forms, said China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a regular news briefing in Beijing, according to Bloomberg . The applicant now only needs to submit their travel history for a year, instead of five years as previously required. In terms of educational background, it only requires the applicant’s highest academic qualification. Starting from March 15, China fully resumed the issuance of tourist visas, visa exemptions for certain countries, and the use of multiple-entry visas issued before the Covid pandemic. … [Read more...] about China simplifies visa procedures to attract foreign tourists

Rescue forces received an emergency call about an accident on the ravine called Bukit Genting at 8:20 p.m. and arrived in the scene 10 minutes later, Strait Times reported. They had difficulty in reaching the scene with fire engines, forcing them to climb onto the hill for 15 minutes with emergency equipment. It took more than two hours to free the tourists out of the bus. One Singaporean woman was confirmed dead at the scene while others were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. South West District Police Chief Supt Kamarul Rizal Jenal told Bernama the victims are believed to an elderly group who are on holiday in Penang. The cause of accident was under investigation, he said. … [Read more...] about Singaporean tourist dies as bus falls into ravine

Dancers in traditional costumes and puppeteers put on performances for the bemused visitors, who came in on a flight from Shanghai. Many stopped to take selfies with Srettha. Tourism is a crucial driver of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, known for its picturesque beaches and vibrant nightlife, and reviving an industry that was hard hit by the pandemic is one of the priorities of newly elected Srettha, who inherited an underperforming economy. China's own post-pandemic economic woes, however, have meant fewer tourists from what was once Thailand's biggest market are flying in, a situation Srettha hopes the visa waiver can help fix. "We are confident this policy will stimulate the economy," the prime minister told reporters at Suvarnabhumi airport, adding that tourist safety will be prioritized. The visa waiver program runs from Sept. 25 until February next year. The government expects 2.88 million Chinese visitors during that 5-month period, slightly higher than the … [Read more...] about Chinese tourists get VIP welcome as Thai visa waiver program begins

The Japanese tourists recently told Asia One that they had been overcharged after trying a chili-style Alaskan King Crab at Seafood Paradise in Clarke Quay last month. After finishing their meal, they were shocked to receive the bill that charged them a total of S$1,322 (US$967), including a 10% service charge. The 3.5-kg crab dish they ordered cost S$938 (US$686). One of the Japanese tourists claimed they were not told they would be charged based on the weight of the crab, according to Asia One . The waiter initially told her the Alaskan King Cab specialty dish was about S$30 "without explaining that they charge per 100 grams." After arguing with the restaurant, the tourists called the police who arrived to settle the dispute before the restaurant offered them a S$107.40 discount, Channel News Asia reported. The group eventually paid for the meal. The Japanese tourists then reported the incident to the Singapore Tourism Board, which in turn brought the matter to … [Read more...] about Singapore restaurant denies that it cheated Japanese tourists