Ugly tourism Despite wearing sandals, the Italian tourist is still annoyed by a shoeshine boy in 30-4 Park. A French tourist looks excited while posing for a photo with a yoke but after that he is forced to pay VND600,000 (US$30) for his short experience. A Japanese tourist is annoyed by street vendors on Dong Khoi Street, District 1, HCMC. Tourists inside this car are rudely stopped by a group of sea food traders near Can Gio beach, HCMC. Owners of the bamboo crafts hustle against one another to scramble for tourists in Ha Long bay. Two Russian tourists have to leave for another place after getting annoyed by street vendors in Long Son pagoda, Nha Trang beachside city. Tourists walking around are annoyed by cyclo drivers in Hue. A security guard tries to seize bottles of fresh water from a woman and a boy who illegally sell seafood on Nha Trang beach on September 6, 2013. (Tuoi Tre) There were 3.5 million international tourist arrivals to Vietnam during the first six months of 2013 with a mere growth of 2.6 percent compared to the same period last year. The six-month growth rate of 2013 is much lower than that of 2012 (13.9 percent) and that of 2011 (18.1 percent). The Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung analyzed in a recent national meeting that the decline in international tourists over year is due to the fact that tourists are increasingly targeted by scam and rip-off artists or annoyed by street vendors in major destinations such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Sam Son, Ha Long, Vung Tau, Nha Trang, and Da Lat. And the reputation of Vietnam is therefore badly hurt, which also has a negative impact on the country’s tourism competition. To solve these problems, the Prime Minister asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to impose heavier punishments on those who harm the environment and the safety of tourists. This photo report is a vivid illustration of problems the Vietnam tourism is facing. TUOI TRE