On the afternoon of 22/9, Hoan Kiem ward police received a report from Australian tourist Philip Damien, staying at a local hotel, about being overcharged for a cyclo ride.

Damien's family of 4, including two adults and two children, hired two cyclos to tour Hanoi's old quarter. At the end of the trip, the two cyclo drivers charged them 1.2 million VND. The advertised price for a 60-minute old quarter cyclo tour on apps like Traveloka is close to 200,000 VND. The family was charged three times the going rate.

Cyclo tours are a popular experience for international tourists in Vietnam. Photo: Viator

Cyclo tours are a popular experience for international tourists in Vietnam. Photo: Viator

Hoan Kiem ward police summoned the two cyclo drivers, issued a formal warning, and demanded they pledge not to repeat the offense. The drivers apologized and refunded the 1.2 million VND to Philip Damien. He accepted their apology and the refund, making no further demands.

Hoan Kiem ward police also advised tourism businesses to strictly adhere to existing regulations, emphasizing this as key to fostering a civilized and safe tourism environment and enhancing the capital's image among visitors.

This is not the first time tourists have been overcharged in Hanoi's old quarter. In July, a group of tourists from the Philippines was charged nearly 1.4 million VND for a taxi ride of less than 1 km by a Hanoi driver. This incident also occurred in Hoan Kiem ward.

In the first 8 months of the year, Hanoi welcomed nearly 22 million visitors, including almost 5 million international tourists, a 26% increase year-on-year. Total tourism revenue reached approximately 86,000 billion VND, a 17% increase compared to last year.

Phuong Anh - Pham Du