Tourists on a beach on Phu Quoc island, April 30, 2023. Photo by Truong Phu Quoc
Authorities on Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island, will form a 33-member inspection team from Thursday to check the quality of tourism services and combat excessive prices.
The crackdown will last until December 26 as the island seeks to salvage its flagging tourism reputation amid a recent drop in tourist arrivals that has led to the suspension of flights to the island.
The inspection team will check the quality and prices of tour guides, taxis, canoes, tourist boats and other means of transportation throughout the island city.
All violations will be strictly dealt with.
Additionally, Phu Quoc authorities also issued a code of conduct to ensure tourism businesses and accommodation establishments act in a “friendly and civilized manner.”
Tourism businesses in Phu Quoc are required to compete in a healthy manner and not discriminate against their customers, make illegal profits and abandon their customers.
Hotels are requested to provide services of adequate and sufficient quality as advertised, to publicly announce their rates, not to discharge waste into the environment or cause environmental pollution, and not to overcharge for tourists during peak seasons or public holidays.
Once a major tourist attraction, Phu Quoc has suffered a crisis in recent months as tourists have voted with their feet due to soaring airfares, exorbitant hotel prices and other scams.
The number of domestic tourists in Phu Quoc has halved in the past three months.
Due to low travel demand, a series of domestic flights from Da Nang, Nha Trang and Can Tho to the island have been suspended.
