Many Vietnamese parents are complaining that local tour agencies are using various tricks to take money from children, who should get free services.
Local tour agencies are using various tricks to take money from children
Last month, while Trinh Minh Hieu and his family went on a tour to My Son Sanctuary and Ly Son Island, he was shocked to learn that children aged over two were also charged for fees at all sites except for Son My Memorial and Chu Lai Museum.
Hieu said that he had trusted the travel agency which charged VND285,000 (USD13.6) for his four-year-old niece.
Like Ngoc Son Temple, the Temple of Literature in Hanoi charges no admission for children under 15, but many travel agencies in HCM City still charge for children over five.
The Tung Lam Development Company said they offered free admission to children under seven or people over 70 for the suspension cable ride to Yen Tu Pagoda in Quang Ninh Province. However, many travel firms continue to collect these fees, excluding it from the tour price.
Under the regulation by the Quang Ninh People’s Committee, children seven or under should be exempted from fees to visit Ha Long Bay. Those aged between seven and 15 are to be charged, while the adult rate is VND120,000. However, a number of travel agencies ignore the regulations and charge their own rates.
A wide range of travel agencies in HCM City count any child over 11 as adults and give children over five a 50% “discount”.
Representatives from two large travel agencies in HCM City said that during the summer vacation of 2013, customers aged between five and 12 accounted for 16-20% of their total number of customers, showing the profitability of charging for children.
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