Nearly 90% of complaints from international tourists to the Korea Tourism Organization related to expensive shopping and being ripped off when taking a taxi.
A report from the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) on May 5 showed that international visitors to Korea were the least satisfied with the country’s shopping experience and taxi service. KTO’s Travel Complaint Center received 902 complaints last year, an increase of more than three times compared to 2022 with 288 complaints. The number of customer complaints decreased from 2020 to 2022 (during the pandemic) but “increased significantly” in 2023 as the world tourism industry began to recover.
Of the nearly 1,000 complaints, 808 were from international tourists, accounting for nearly 90%. The most common complaints are related to shopping such as expensive prices, tax refunds as well as after-sales and exchange policies.
A group of international tourists wearing Hanbok took souvenir photos at Phuc Cung Port, Seoul. Image: Yonhap
“I bought 10 foot masks after seeing the price of 8,000 won (160,000 VND). But when I paid, I was charged 10 times more,” said a Japanese tourist. This person then asked to cancel the order, but the seller asked her to come back the next day to resolve it because the store manager was not there at the moment.
Taxi service is the second biggest inconvenience for international tourists visiting Korea, accounting for nearly 19% of complaints. Problems include being overcharged, drivers refusing to turn on the speedometer, drivers being rude to passengers and deliberately taking detours to charge higher prices.
Jeju police on May 8 said they arrested a taxi driver who intentionally charged a Chinese tourist an “exorbitant” price for the trip from the airport to the hotel. Instead of just paying 23,000 won (nearly 460,000 VND), customers have to pay 200,000 won (4 million VND). The police then asked this person to return 177,000 won to the customer.
Besides, guests also complain about poor facilities and toilet quality. KTO and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have committed to working with local authorities to improve tourism services, create convenience for guests as well as promote tourism in each area.
KTO said it regularly checks major tourist attractions to monitor the situation of selling high prices to customers such as at cultural festivals. The government also pledged to take tougher measures against taxi drivers’ fraudulent behavior.
In 2023, Korea will welcome more than 11 million international visitors, an increase of 245% compared to 2022. In 2019, this country welcomed 17.5 million visitors. Vietnam is one of the top markets sending customers to Korea and is in the top 5.