An Australian teacher living in Hanoi said she was happy to pay more than Vietnamese people, as her salary, although not high by Western standards, was at least five or six times that of the average Vietnamese person. I think it is selfish of Westerners to complain about paying more than Vietnamese. As for tourists, a holiday in Vietnam is still incredibly cheap compared to a holiday in the United States, Britain or Europe. But experts say the single-price system will be a boost to tourism. Le Thai Binh, a tour guide at SaigonTourist in Ho Chi Minh City, welcomed the Government's move saying it will send a positive message to millions of would-be visitors.
Dual pricing can be very difficult to explain to tourists.
He said the changes would encourage more tourists to take the train or the plane and get more out of their visit to Vietnam. More importantly, I think tourists will feel more welcome in our country. They'll be more likely to recommend Vietnam as a tourist destination to friends and even make return visits themselves. This sentiment is shared by Fred James an American teaching English in the city. It's not just paying more money that upsets visitors - there's the psychological impact too.