Frequently asked questions

No. It is an independent guide. It links to the official register of travel businesses and the guide database run by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism so you can check companies yourself.

No. The guide does not recommend, list or rate companies. It explains how to check any company you are considering, using official sources.

It means the company met the legal conditions when the licence was issued and has not been listed as revoked. It says nothing about service quality or safety standards, which you still need to judge.

Each section that can change shows a "last checked" date. This edition was checked on 26 October 2026. If something has changed, the contact page explains how to tell us.

Not necessarily. The contract is with the licensed operator either way. What matters is that you know the operator's name, have checked its licence and hold a contract that names both parties.

No. A travel agent needs business registration and a written agency contract with a licensed company. The licence belongs to the company whose programme the agent sells.

Start with the platform you paid, under its terms, and tell the local operator about the problem on the day. If the local operator broke Vietnamese rules, the provincial tourism department where it happened is the official channel.

Yes, for inbound visitors. A company with foreign investment can hold an international licence limited to serving visitors arriving in Vietnam.

It has to be in writing. An email or a signed document that contains the required items meets that purpose; a phone call or a chat message on its own does not.

It covers part of what the law requires. Ask for the payment terms, cancellation table, force majeure clause and insurance details in writing before you pay.

The contract, read with the Civil Code. Because the general definition is broad, ask for the events and the consequences to be spelled out in your contract.

In an emergency or force majeure, yes. Otherwise the programme in the contract is what you paid for, and changes should be agreed with you.

Yes, in most cases. The operator's cover runs only during the programme and on its own terms. Your policy covers the rest of the trip and things like repatriation and cancellation.

Standard policies usually exclude mopeds and similar vehicles. Ask the insurer in writing, and check the licence and helmet conditions it sets.

Yes. The UK guidance says not declaring existing conditions, pending treatment or tests may invalidate the policy.

A police report or statement, the receipts for what was lost, and a note from the guide or company. Report before you leave the country.

The provincial tourism department where the problem happened or where the company is registered handles tourist complaints and passes complex cases to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

Write in English if you need to, but a short Vietnamese summary at the start helps officials act faster. Attach the contract and evidence.

Authorities can act against breaches, but a refund usually comes from the company, a card dispute or a court. Use the complaint to support those routes, not instead of them.

No. Consular staff can explain local procedures and help in emergencies, but they cannot investigate a complaint or act for you in a dispute.

Its role is promotion. Tour business and guide licences are issued by a government tourism department under national law. Ask the company for its licence number and check it there.

The Office of the Consumer Protection Board is the government body for consumer complaints. For crime, contact the Tourist Police.

The operator's credentials, equipment condition, oxygen on the boat, access to a hyperbaric chamber and your insurance conditions, as UK travel advice suggests.

UK advice links boat accidents to overloading, poor maintenance and rough seas, especially in the monsoon. Ask about passenger numbers and cancellation plans before you book.

The pages are written by the Tourist Agent editors, named as the author on every page. The site does not sell travel services.

The guide does not name companies in its text, and there are no paid placements in the editorial pages. Advertising, where shown, is labelled and kept separate.

Where an official text is silent or could not be opened, we use a labelled secondary source so you can weigh it.

Use the form on the contact page. Say which page, what is wrong, and how you know.