Vietnam’s booming summer tourism season is driving exceptional demand across Vung Tau, Ho Tram and surrounding coastal destinations, but the surge in accommodation bookings is also creating new risks for travellers.
Hotels, resorts, villas and homestays across Ho Chi Minh City’s eastern coastal tourism region are seeing strong occupancy during the peak holiday period. At the same time, increasingly sophisticated online booking scams are targeting tourists searching for rooms during busy weekends.
Fraudulent social media pages, fake booking profiles and deceptive payment requests have become a growing concern as criminals exploit limited room availability and travellers’ urgency to secure accommodation.
Coastal hotels see powerful summer demand
Visitor activity has risen sharply across Vung Tau Ward, Tam Thang Ward, Long Hai Commune, Ho Tram Commune and Binh Chau Commune during July.
Three-star, four-star and five-star properties have recorded particularly strong demand, with many operating close to full capacity during weekends.
Booking momentum began accelerating in early June as families prepared for school holiday trips and short coastal escapes.
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays remain the busiest periods as domestic travellers increasingly choose seaside destinations for convenient weekend breaks.
Premium accommodation has become especially difficult to secure during high-demand dates.
The Landmark Vung Tau Hotel has experienced strong summer weekend reservations, with popular room categories frequently booked several days before arrival.
Sea-view rooms and family suites have been among the most sought-after options, while several upscale resorts in Ho Tram have also approached or reached full weekend occupancy.
Homestays gain from family travel boom
Demand has expanded well beyond traditional hotels.
Serviced apartments, private villas and homestays are attracting families and groups seeking larger spaces, flexible accommodation and shared holiday experiences.
Phan Cong Thu, owner of the Cham Homestay chain, has reported strong booking patterns in Vung Tau and Phuoc Hai, with properties often reserved one or two weeks ahead.
Larger units suitable for extended families and groups of friends have performed particularly well during the school holiday season.
The trend highlights changing domestic travel preferences as visitors increasingly combine coastal holidays with multi-generational family trips.
Expressway improves coastal accessibility
Improved transport connectivity is also supporting tourism growth.
The Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway has helped strengthen access between Ho Chi Minh City and popular eastern coastal destinations, making short leisure trips more practical for domestic travellers.
Reduced travel times, combined with school holidays and strong weekend demand, have placed additional pressure on available accommodation.
In some high-demand periods, booking activity has exceeded available room supply, creating temporary shortages and encouraging travellers to search more widely online.
That urgency has created opportunities for fraudsters.
Fake hotel pages target travellers
One of the most common schemes involves fake Facebook pages designed to imitate legitimate hotels, resorts or homestays.
Fraudsters may copy authentic property photographs and create professional-looking profiles. Artificial follower numbers and paid promotions can make fraudulent pages appear credible.
Travellers are then pressured with claims that only one room remains or that a special rate will expire shortly.
Victims may be asked to transfer deposits of 30 to 50 percent of the total booking cost.
Once the money is transferred, communication may stop and the fraudulent account can disappear.
In one reported case, a Can Tho resident identified as N.T.N. attempted to reserve a hotel on Thuy Van Street in Vung Tau Ward.
The traveller believed a Facebook page with more than 21,000 followers was genuine and transferred nearly VND1.5 million, around US$57, as a deposit.
The fraud was discovered only when the listed telephone number became unreachable before the planned trip.
Tourism businesses also face financial fraud
Hospitality operators are increasingly becoming targets themselves.
A hotel owner in Con Dao Special Zone identified as D.H.T.V. reportedly received what appeared to be a payment confirmation from a customer.
The person then requested that a QR code be scanned to verify the transaction.
After the code was scanned, an instant loan worth VND50 million, approximately US$1,900, was obtained through the owner’s electronic wallet. Most of the money was then transferred away.
The incident highlights the expanding sophistication of digital financial scams affecting Vietnam’s tourism economy.
Authorities urge stronger digital caution
Tourism authorities are increasing public awareness efforts as fraudulent accommodation websites and social media profiles become harder to distinguish from genuine businesses.
Travellers are being encouraged to verify booking channels carefully and confirm reservation details directly with accommodation providers before transferring money.
Hospitality businesses are also being urged to identify fake pages, report fraudulent accounts and assist victims in contacting authorities.
Police guidance stresses that travellers and businesses should never scan QR codes from unknown sources or disclose passwords, authentication codes or one-time passwords.
Accommodation providers should also independently verify completed payments instead of relying only on screenshots or payment notifications provided by customers.
As Vietnam’s coastal tourism demand continues to grow, digital vigilance is becoming an essential part of holiday planning.
Strong occupancy across Vung Tau, Ho Tram and nearby destinations demonstrates the resilience of domestic tourism. However, safer booking practices will be critical to protecting both travellers and hospitality businesses during increasingly busy travel periods.
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