At the event (Photo: baoquangnam.vn) Quang Nam (VNA) – The People’s Committee of the central province of Quang Nam held asymposium on December 3 to identify challenges and solutions on heritage tourismconservation and development amid COVID-19.
It was part of the activitiesmarking the 21st anniversary the province’s Hoi An Ancient Town’s recognitionas a UNESCO World Heritage (December 4), and the third year the art of Bai Choiin central Vietnam was inscribed on the Representative List of the IntangibleCultural Heritage of Humanity (December 7).
Many studies andessays were delivered at the event, particularly those on experience inheritage tourism conservation and development in the ancient villages of DuongLam in Hanoi and Dong Hoa Hiep in Tien Giang Mekong Delta province, which couldbe applicable in Hoi An.
Representative of theJapan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Vietnam Mori Yoshinori briefedthe delegates on the cooperation and incentives of JICA in culturalconservation and tourism development in Vietnam in general and Hoi An inparticular via research programmes on history, archaeology, architecture, relicpreservation, and capacity raising for those working in such fields in thelocalities.
Hoi An is known as thelargest trading port in the central region of Vietnam in the 17th century. Atpresent, the ancient town has a total of 1,438 relics, including 28 historicand 1,336 architectural ones.
Seventy percent ofproceeds collected at tourist destinations has been earmarked for theinfrastructure reparation and investment in the town, as well as research and theholding of festivals.
As the ravagingpandemic has dealt a blow to tourism activities in Hoi An, only 150 relics areopen to the public. The event, therefore, also discussed measures to lurevisitors once COVID-19 is repelled.
Tourism arrivals toHoi An stood merely stood at 841,000 in the first nine months of this year andthe tourism sector raked in over 772 billion VND (33.41 million USD), marking anosedive of 80 percent against the same period last year./.
