|
The vice chief of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
(VNAT) said that the media has reported many forms of swindling against
tourists, so Matt Kepnes’article entitled “Why I'll never return to Vietnam” on
the Huffington Post (USA) is not an exception. However, the tourism industry has
to learn experience from it to better serve tourists.
“Why I'll never return to Vietnam” by blogger Matt Kepnes, writing about his
trip to Vietnam, was posted on Huffington Post on December 30, 2011. The author
stated: “After my experience there in 2007, I'll never go back to that country.
Never, ever, ever. A business trip or a girlfriend may force me there in the
future, but for as long as I can see down the road, I'll never touch down again
in that country.”
Explaining his statement, Kepnes recalled his tour to Vietnam several years ago.
According to him, street sellers constantly tried to overcharge him and did not
give back the proper change; the cabbie rigged his meter, those who sell
T-shirts in Hoi An tried to keep him in their store until he bought something;
the tour boat on Ha Long bay did not have water etc.Vu The Binh, Chairman of the
Vietnam Travel Association, said that Kepnes’ comments are normal because each
country has good and bad things. However, all opinions must be respected and
considered carefully.
“It is no problem because there are always different views about tourist sites.
Vietnamese people often prefer compliments than criticism. We need to be
gradually familiar to criticism to mend our ways. This article is not so
worrying but it is the alarming bell that reminds tourism service providers to
correct,” Binh said.
According to him, the story of Kepnes is partly true and part of it is
overstatement. However, the tourism sector needs to deal with phenomena like
robbery, hygiene and environment, street sellers who pursue tourists. Tourist
services must be controlled closely so that foreign tourists will only consider
the above phenomena unpopular.
Binh said that tourism industry has developed in many locations but the people’s
awareness of tourism is still poor and tourism culture has not been formed,
resulted in overcharging and cheating behaviors. Local authorities have to learn
from experience and take measures to address this situation.
Doan Thanh Tra, from Saigontourist, said that Vietnam has changed a lot since
2007, when Kepnes traveled Vietnam. However, what he experienced still exists in
some places, even in big cities.
Tra said that Kepnes’ comments may make many foreign tourists dislike Vietnam
tourism but it urges Vietnam to look back on its tourism. “Whenever Vietnamese
people still think that tourism development is the job of the state and someone
else, not themselves, they will still treat tourists based on their personal
interests,” she said.
Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice chief of VNAT, said that the media has reported various
forms of swindling against tourists. The story by Kepnes, therefore, is not an
exception. Cheating visitors is alarming.
“The top solution of Vietnam’s tourism industry now is raising responsibility of
local governments,” Cuong said, citing that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Tourism has recently asked Khanh Hoa province to deal with swindling taxi
services and improve hygiene and environment.
Cuong said that the story may make adverse impacts on Vietnam tourism but the
tourism sector must learn from it to improve service quality.
|
