Since the beginning of this year, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and several state media outlets have repeatedly exposed shopping scams targeting elderly Chinese tourists on low-cost Vietnam tours.
But compared with official figures, stories shared on social media by the families of elderly travelers appear even more disturbing—and reveal tactics that are harder to guard against.
Recently, many travelers have described a new tactic used by low-cost Vietnamese tours marketed as “customer appreciation trips” for clients of Chinese insurance companies: taking tourists to visit wealthy local families.
Near the end of the itinerary, the tour guide suddenly announces an “upgraded dinner experience” before taking the entire group to a local mansion.
There, younger members of the household warmly welcome the visitors, claiming Chinese ancestry and recounting how their parents built family fortune from scratch. They repeatedly emphasize their affection for Chinese seniors.
Once the emotional atmosphere has been carefully built up, the real purpose emerges. Pearls, jade products and so-called family heirlooms are brought out one after another, turning a seemingly friendly visit into a carefully staged sales trap disguised as an opportunity to support the host family.
Many elderly travelers who had promised their children they would not buy anything still ended up spending thousands, or even tens of thousands, of yuan (around 1,000 US dollars to several thousand dollars).
Why has Vietnam become such a favored destination for shopping tours marketed to insurance customers?
The answer lies in where low-cost tour operators choose to operate: places with lower regulatory and enforcement costs.
In May last year, Thailand established a joint operations center involving tourism, business development, special investigation, tourism police and immigration authorities to crack down on nominee-owned travel agencies and unlicensed guides.
In the previous six months, Thailand had already inspected 940 tourism businesses and 338 tour guides. In the first half of this year, authorities also cross-checked company registrations, travel agency licenses and shareholder information, identifying 33 high-risk businesses in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, and revoking the operating licenses of four.
Zero-dollar tours have not disappeared completely, but continuing such operations in Thailand now carries a much higher cost, with operators facing the constant risk of losing their licenses.
Vietnam, meanwhile, sits on the other side of the equation.
In 2025, Vietnam welcomed around 5.3 million Chinese tourists, up more than 40% year on year. The number surpassed Thailand’s for the first time, accounting for nearly a quarter of Vietnam’s total international arrivals.
Short flight times, relatively low hotel and transportation costs, and established networks serving Chinese tour groups in destinations such as Nha Trang and Da Nang have made Vietnam well positioned to absorb large numbers of price-sensitive Chinese package-tour travelers.
