Long-term promotion opportunity for Hoi An from free admission

International delegations come to cultural exchange in Hoi An, Quang Nam. Photo: DVCC

On March 20, Mr. Nguyen Van Lanh, Vice Chairman of Hoi An City People's Committee informed Lao Dong Newspaper that Hoi An has stopped all new projects on collecting entrance fees to visit the ancient town.

Previously, the People's Committee of Hoi An city had submitted a proposal to expand the subjects of free tickets to visit the old town, including: Delegates from domestic and foreign localities that have signed or have cooperative and exchange relationships with Hoi An city and Quang Nam province; domestic and international delegations coming to Hoi An, Quang Nam to participate in cultural exchange events in the locality; working delegations that have working relationships and learn from local experiences.

First of all, it must be affirmed that the decision of Quang Nam province is not legally wrong. The 2015 Law on Fees and Charges only allows free tickets for children, the poor, journalists, and some special subjects.

So the exchange delegations from Luang Prabang (Laos), Niihama (Japan), or Szentendre (Hungary) are not on this list.

Hoi An was also once "whistled" by the State Audit for flexibly exempting fees outside of regulations, so this refusal is Quang Nam's way of keeping to the "rules of the game".

However, this decision is raising concerns: Is it too rigid and hindering the tourism development potential of Hoi An - a UNESCO heritage gem?

Because Hoi An ancient town is not only a source of revenue - 120,000 VND per ticket, but also a symbol of Vietnamese cultural exchange with the world. Refusing to provide free tickets in some cases, Quang Nam can protect the budget, but unintentionally lose the opportunity for long-term promotion.

Speaking with Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Tran Thanh Hung - a Da Nang cultural researcher - suggested that Hoi An needs a more harmonious approach.

Instead of completely free tickets, which can easily lead to losses and are illegal, Quang Nam can reduce ticket prices by 50% for cultural exchange groups. A “cultural ticket package” that combines a visit to the old town with an event experience, such as the Vietnam-Japan festival, is also an idea worth trying.

This is not just a promotion, but a way to turn tourist groups into “ambassadors” to promote Hoi An to the world. Electronic ticket technology, with QR codes to classify objects, will help manage effectively, avoiding revenue loss as the Department of Finance worries. These solutions are both legal and revive the vitality of the ancient town.

A “cultural exchange fund” from ticket revenue could be the solution: allocating 10-15% of revenue to support international events, which is both legal (because it is not directly free) and encourages sustainable tourism.

In fact, this model is not new, because Kyoto (Japan) has used similar funds to preserve temples and attract global visitors.

Quang Nam needs to look further: each exchange group today can bring thousands of tourists tomorrow. Flexibility is not breaking the law, but applying the law so that the ancient town can both preserve and shine.

Hoi An is not only a heritage of Quang Nam, but of Vietnam and the world.

Today’s decision by Quang Nam province is legal and reasonable. But the future of Hoi An ancient town requires more with a broader, more far-reaching vision to balance conservation and development.

Source: https://laodong.vn/ban-doc/co-hoi-quang-ba-dai-han-hoi-an-nhin-tu-mien-phi-ve-tham-quan-1479629.ldo