Foreign tourist's boarding pass torn up: Staff's attitude controversial

Aviation expert Pham Ngoc Sau said it is necessary to clearly distinguish between aviation security personnel and immigration officers.

While immigration officers have the main duty of checking the legality of documents such as passports and visas to decide whether to allow entry or exit, baggage checks and security screening belong to other forces such as aviation security, customs and quarantine.

He said that each country has its own regulations and level of control regarding immigration procedures, so it is impossible to absolutely assess which place is "easy" or "difficult". Passenger convenience also depends on the infrastructure, technology and organization at the airport. Modern airports such as those in Singapore, South Korea or Japan often apply automatic systems such as e-Gate and biometric identification to help speed up procedures.

At Vietnam’s airports, many passenger complaints stem not from complicated procedures but from the unfriendly service attitude of some staff. This is a human and training issue, not a system error. A single instance of substandard behavior, even if it is isolated, can negatively impact the image of the aviation industry and the country.

Regarding the incident at Phu Quoc airport, Mr. Sau said that the border police officers apologized to the passengers for their inappropriate behavior. This is a positive signal, and also emphasizes the importance of building a service culture with the spirit of "serving to develop the country" in each officer working at national gateways.

Associate Professor Dr. Bui Hoai Son, Standing Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education, commented that the Taiwanese female tourist's act of tearing up her boarding pass was a lack of standards in public service. He emphasized that the airport is the face of the country, and each officer not only performs technical tasks but also represents the image, culture and hospitality of Vietnam.

Impulsive and uncontrolled actions such as tearing up a boarding pass not only hurt the individual but also leave a bad impression on international visitors, affecting the reputation of the country and the tourism industry. Mr. Son affirmed that there is no reason, whether it is work pressure or security procedures, that can justify disrespecting people.

Therefore, those working in the aviation industry, especially those in direct contact with passengers, need to remain calm, polite and professional, especially when faced with stressful or controversial situations.

The attitude of airport staff, especially those who have direct contact with passengers such as immigration officers, aviation security officers or ground support staff, plays a key role in shaping visitors’ first and last impressions of a country. No matter how modern the procedures are or how improved the infrastructure is, if there is a lack of professionalism, courtesy and service spirit, the image of a country can still be overshadowed by substandard behavior.

A gentle word, a friendly smile or enthusiastic support is sometimes more valuable than preferential policies. On the contrary, hot-temperedness and lack of self-control - even in isolated cases - can leave a mark on tourists, affecting the country's reputation in the long term. Therefore, more than professional skills, what needs to be focused on in training aviation personnel is awareness of the role of representing the national image - where each employee is an "ambassador" without a passport.

Currently, Vietnam is considered one of the countries with quite open immigration policies compared to many countries in the region as well as in the world.

Associate Professor Dr. Bui Hoai Son commented that compared to developed countries such as the US, UK, Japan or Australia - where visa application requires many strict procedures such as direct interviews, financial proof or providing detailed schedules - Vietnam is applying a much more flexible policy.

In the Southeast Asian region, although Vietnam's technology infrastructure and airport experience still have some limitations compared to countries like Singapore, Thailand or Malaysia, in recent years, Vietnam has made many efforts to improve.

However, despite the open policy, the actual implementation at some points still has shortcomings, especially in the implementation and service quality at border gates and airports. These are factors that need to continue to be paid attention to and improved if Vietnam wants to improve its position in the eyes of international friends and strongly develop the tourism industry.