“In the past, my old house always had 2-3 guests staying and experiencing the family. They were like people from far away coming back to their old hometown to find familiar memories, but now the house has to be upgraded to become a simple rental accommodation” - said Mr. HQK (an official of a State agency in Hoi An).
A bland experience
In Hoi An, Thanh Dong, Thanh Nhat, Thanh Nhi areas… Cam Thanh and An My communes (Cam Chau) are the places where homestay services flourish the most. In 2017, you can see homestay signs everywhere in alleys and residential areas.
Many homeowners who work in the fields every day, grow rice and vegetables, also learn how to smile, how to talk, and even learn English to invite foreign guests to stay at their homes.
The owner of a homestay in Thanh Nhat village, Cam Thanh commune in 2017 told us that each month, the family's 3 rooms on the second floor for guests to experience also generated an income of about 20 million VND/month.
That was the period when... every family opened a homestay in Hoi An. Hoi An tourism at this "peak" period welcomed an average of 4-5 million visitors/year, leading to an increase in demand for accommodation and experiencing the life of local residents.
But now, when returning to the owner's house in Thanh Nhat village, everything is different. The house is still used for rent, a solid two-story concrete house located deep in an alley full of homestay signs, peacefully under the areca trees. The only thing is that there are much fewer guests than before.
Only occasionally do people visit, and the customer experience habits have also changed. It is no longer the “luxury Western” of the past, but now it is mainly backpackers with limited finances. Choosing a place to stay is no longer about learning about the life and culture of the local residents, but just a place to stay.
“The guests who come to stay rarely have any contact with us. We open rooms for them to rent, clean, and rent motorbikes for them. It’s just that simple, not as fun as before,” said Ms. HKL, owner of a small homestay in Thanh Dong, Cam Thanh.
Going into the residential areas that were once densely populated with homestays in Hoi An also saw the same gloomy scene. For many reasons, the guest experience has gradually faded, leading to fewer guests at homestays than before.
People still welcome guests to stay, but it is no longer a homestay but just a room or house for rent. People are no longer the subject of the service or the tourism product, but play the role of the owner of the facility.
Try homestay from ancient house
With the ancient town of Hoi An and its resident community with unique beliefs, customs, personalities and cultures, homestay in Hoi An is the right choice to promote local cultural values and improve people's lives. This is part of the reason why Hoi An City recently wants to put houses in Hoi An ancient town into a trial accommodation program.
This idea is expected to bring a unique tourism experience, exploit the value of heritage space, help families living for generations in the old town have more joy and income. However, when it was just launched as a pilot, it immediately received mixed opinions.
Chairman of Hoi An City People's Committee Nguyen Van Son said that the purpose of Hoi An is to promote the values of relics, especially ancient houses in alleys and lanes. The experience of eating and staying with residents in the ancient town complex is also a product that has not been available anywhere else. However, in response to public comments, it is necessary to have flexible adjustments to create a model place for homestay in Hoi An.
Homestay on the verge of deformation
According to statistics from the People's Committee of Hoi An City, the city currently has about 300-400 homestays. In 2017, the number of homestays in Hoi An was 297. After 7 years, compared to the old number, the number has not increased significantly.
Posing as a visitor to Hoi An looking for a place to stay, we went to An Hoi area on the other side of Hoai River. This is a “version of the old town”, which used to be a residential area but was planned to create a night entertainment area for visitors.
It was quite overwhelming when a homestay owner invited me to stay and told me that his homestay had up to... dozens of rooms, even though the land area was only around 100m2 .
“This area is near the old town so guests come often. We have been doing this since the old days, we welcome guests when they come. It is both an income and a joy” - the homestay owner said.
On the other side of An Hoi Bridge, there are many homestays with dozens of rooms and staff. Although called homestays, they are actually no different from apartments for daily rent, a low-cost accommodation for the tourism industry.
An Irish male tourist once traveled to Hoi An and complained to us that he was a bit disappointed when choosing a homestay in Hoi An for his experience.
“My wife and I booked a week to stay and visit Hoi An. When we looked online, we were very interested in the culture and people of Hoi An, so we chose a homestay in Cam Nam to stay.
But in reality, we rarely met the hosts, they also did not speak English, and when we asked for anything, they came to help like a waiter. We decided to leave early because we did not experience anything about the culture and people in the house we stayed in" - the Irish guest said in disappointment.
Ms. Pham Thi Linh Chi, head of the Hoi An Homestay & Villa Association, also expressed her disappointment with the homestay model in Hoi An. Ms. Chi said that many homestays were licensed “from the beginning” but have now actually transformed into cheap accommodation for tourists to rent.
“There are many homestays that we have been to that are… surprising. The land area is about 100m2 but they built 20 rooms close together. With that number, how can guests experience the host? This phenomenon happens a lot, that is why homestays are no longer attractive,” said Ms. Chi.
According to Ms. Chi, if understood correctly, homestay is a type of experience with depth. If you know how to do it and exploit it, it will be as valuable as a villa or resort.
“European guests love to experience the culture, life, and people of the places they visit. The host just lives as he or she does, simple, honest, neat, clean, and welcoming. It’s enough to cook them a meal with fish and garden vegetables. But if you just welcome guests in and don’t interact, separating guests from the host, it’s no longer a homestay,” said Ms. Linh Chi.
Another reason that makes homestays less attractive, according to Ms. Chi, is that villas are springing up like mushrooms after the rain in Hoi An. These villas are not only reasonably priced but also clean, private, have swimming pools and gardens, so guests love them. Meanwhile, the weakness of homestay infrastructure is that there is no swimming pool, so guests who come in hot weather will lack services.
Many seminars, corrective policies and moves to strengthen management and limit licensing from the government, but up to now, homestays in Hoi An have not really been effective.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/homestay-bay-gio-con-khong-3142266.html
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