Checking travel companies, contracts and refunds before you book
When something goes wrong
How and where to complain
Complaints about tours in Vietnam work most reliably in a fixed order: the company first and in writing, then the official tourism channels, then consumer protection, with the police and your card issuer for fraud. This page sets out each channel and what it can do.
Contents
Your rights under the Law on Tourism
Article 11 of the Law on Tourism lists the rights of tourists. Among them: to ask the business for information on the programme and services under the contract; to have the legitimate rights and interests in that contract protected; to safety of life, health and property; to complain, denounce or sue over breaches of tourism law; to make recommendations to the authorities; and to compensation for damage under the law.
Since 1 July 2024 the Law on Protection of Consumer Rights, number 19/2023/QH15, has also applied, replacing the 2010 law. It requires businesses to set up internal complaint procedures, which is one more reason to start with the company.
Sources: Law on Tourism 2017 (09/2017/QH14), Article 11 — rights of tourists; EU IP Helpdesk — Vietnam's Law on Protection of Consumer Rights 2023; Rajah & Tann Asia — new Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights (law firm) · last checked .
The order that works
- 01
The company, in writing
Email the company's address with your booking reference, what went wrong and what you want. Raise problems with the guide on the day as well.
- 02
The seller you paid
If you booked through an agent or a platform, write to it too. Under Article 40 the contract is with the licensed company, but the agent is named on it.
- 03
The provincial tourism department
The department of the province where the problem happened, or where the company is registered. Provincial departments handle tourist complaints and pass complex cases to the national authority.
- 04
The national tourism authority
The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism oversees travel licences and publishes revocations and breaches on its register.
- 05
Consumer protection
The National Competition Commission under the Ministry of Industry and Trade handles state management of consumer protection.
- 06
Police and your bank
For fraud or theft, report to the police and get a report; for a card payment, contact your card issuer about a dispute.
Sources: Lawyers of Vietnam — VNAT dispatch 1744/CDLQGVN-LH, June 2026; Law on Tourism 2017, Article 40 — travel agents; VNAT register — licence revocation notices; Ministry of Industry and Trade — National Competition Commission review of 2025; UK Foreign Office — victim of crime abroad · last checked .
Complaint channels at a glance
| Channel | Use it for | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| The travel company | Any problem with the tour, a refund, a change | The company email on your contract and on the register entry |
| Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, or Department of Tourism | Breaches by a licensed company or guide: no contract, missing insurance, guide without a card, services not as described | The provincial government's website for the province concerned |
| Vietnam National Authority of Tourism | Licence questions, cases a province passes on, companies on the register | vietnamtourism.gov.vn and the register at quanlyluhanh.vn |
| National Competition Commission | Consumer rights: misleading offers, unfair contract terms, refusals to deal with complaints | Its website, email, the National Public Services Portal or post; see the Ministry of Industry and Trade portal |
| Local police | Fraud, theft, fake sellers | The nearest station; ask for a written report |
| Your card issuer | A card payment for a service not provided | Your bank's dispute process |
| Your embassy or consulate | Help understanding local procedures; it cannot investigate or take sides | Your government's travel advice pages |
We do not print telephone numbers. Hotlines change, and the official websites above list the current ones.
Sources: Lawyers of Vietnam — VNAT dispatch 1744/CDLQGVN-LH, June 2026; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — travel business register, English version; Tap chi Cong Thuong — National Competition Commission complaint channels, September 2025; Ministry of Industry and Trade — National Competition Commission review of 2025; UK Foreign Office — victim of crime abroad; UK Foreign Office — Vietnam getting help · last checked .
Consumer protection in numbers
In its review of 2025, published by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in January 2026, the National Competition Commission reported 896 complaints, petitions and requests received through its channels, mainly by email and through its website, in addition to calls to its consumer advice line. Its work also covers reviewing standard-form contracts and inspecting violations.
Those figures cover all sectors, not only tourism, and the review did not give a breakdown. They show that written complaints are received and counted; they do not tell you how long yours will take.
Sources: Ministry of Industry and Trade — National Competition Commission review of 2025; Tap chi Cong Thuong — National Competition Commission complaint channels, September 2025 · last checked .
What to put in a complaint
- Your name, the travellers' names and the booking reference.
- The company's legal name and licence number from the register, and the agent if there was one.
- Dates and places: when and where each problem happened.
- What the contract promised, quoting the clause or the itinerary line, and what you received.
- Evidence: photos, messages, receipts, the guide's name and card number if relevant.
- What you have already asked the company for, and its answer.
- What you want now: a refund of a stated amount, an apology, a correction, or action against a breach.
Keep it factual and short. Officials and card issuers read many complaints; one page with attachments is easier to act on than a long narrative.
Before you leave the country
Some steps are much harder from home. The UK Foreign Office advises reporting a crime to local police as soon as possible, notes that in most countries you must report before you leave if you want it investigated, and recommends getting a police report in every case. Emergency numbers in Vietnam are operated in Vietnamese only, so take someone who can translate.
If the complaint is about a licensed company, send your first written complaint while you are still in Vietnam if you can. The guide and the company can sometimes fix the problem on the spot, and a written complaint made at the time is stronger evidence later.
Sources: UK Foreign Office — victim of crime abroad; UK Foreign Office — Vietnam getting help · last checked .
Common questions
Questions readers ask
Which office handles complaints about a tour company in Vietnam?
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.
Can I complain in English?
Write in English if you need to, but a short Vietnamese summary at the start helps officials act faster. Attach the contract and evidence.
Will a complaint get my money back?
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.
Can my embassy deal with the company for me?
No. Consular staff can explain local procedures and help in emergencies, but they cannot investigate a complaint or act for you in a dispute.
Related
Read next
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Refunds
How deposits, cancellation charges, refunds and card disputes work, and what is realistic in each case.
Paperwork
Contract and confirmation
The five items the Law on Tourism requires in a travel contract, plus what a good confirmation adds.
Before you book
Red flags
The scam patterns official warnings describe, a table of red flags, and what to do if you have already paid.
Before you book
Check a licence
Step-by-step check of a travel company on the official VNAT register, with licence number formats and limits.
Before you book
Tour guides
Three types of guide card, the conditions for each, how to check one in the national database, and the fines.
This guide
About
Editorial policy: scope, order of sources, what the dates mean, advertising and corrections.
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