Hoi An suspends entrance charge plan amid public objections

Quang Nam (VNS/VNA) – Hoi An city in the central province of Quang Nam will not charge visitors to its ancient town until the plan gets public acceptance, according to a local leader.

Tran Anh, Secretary of the Hoi An Party Committee, stated last weekend that he had ordered the city People's Committee to hold off the plan to collect entry fees from every tourist beginning on May 15 by establishing separate lanes for local people and international visitors.

Anh said that Hoi An would have discussions with residents and businesses to devise a solution that is both efficient and acceptable.

The local administration will hold a press briefing to make public the plan once an agreement has been reached, he added.

He argued that the city would attempt to collect funds from travellers for conservation without concerning them, and that similar models are being considered for various other tourist attractions in Vietnam and abroad.

"We will not collect entry charges from May 15 as we will not be able to come up with a plan by that time," he said.

Currently, travellers only need to purchase tickets to specific sights in Hoi An, while the rest of the old town is free to explore.

One-way tickets for foreign travellers cost 120,000 VND (5.12 USD), while those for domestic visitors cost only 80,000 VND (3.41 USD).

The city’s historic quarter, Hoi An ancient town, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. It is included in the Cu Lao Cham-Hoi An Biosphere Reserve, together with the Cu Lao Cham archipelago, which was established in 2009.

The ancient town is recognised as an extremely well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian commercial port dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries, with its buildings and street design showing a combination of indigenous and foreign influences.

It is notable for its covered 'Temple Bridge', which dates back to the 16th to 17th centuries./.