Hoi An: From an unknown "destination" to an international tourist center.

(QNO) – From an unknown "destination" with poor services, 50 years after its liberation, Hoi An has become a leading tourist center in the country and is famous worldwide. This achievement is thanks to the contributions of many generations of people and businesses in the city over the long journey.

Báo Quảng Nam•27/03/2025

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From an "unknown" destination on the tourism map, Hoi An has become a leading tourist center in the region and the country (tourists visiting the ancient town in December 2024). Photo: KHANH LINH

Pioneering

Ms. Huynh Thi Kinh – former Deputy General Director of Hoi An Tourism and Service Joint Stock Company – recalled that in April 1990, the Hoi An Food and Beverage Service Company and the Hoi An Tourism Company merged to become the Hoi An Tourism and Service Company. At the same time, they took over the provincial Party School's premises at 10 Tran Hung Dao Street, transforming it into a mini-hotel (now Hoi An Hotel) with 8 rooms, becoming the first state-owned enterprise to engage in tourism.

At that time, the company had about 40 employees, and the majority of customers were Western backpackers. According to Ms. Kinh, in the 1990s, there weren't many accommodation establishments. Besides the state-owned Hoi An Hotel, the entire town had about 20 establishments, but most were small-scale, including mini-hotels, villas, and homestays such as Vinh Hung, Thuy Duong, and Thanh Binh…

According to Mr. Vo Phung, Vice Chairman of the Quang Nam Tourism Association and former Deputy Head of the Culture and Sports Department of Hoi An town at the time, around 1988, tourists visited Hoi An, but not in large numbers. Most came individually, with occasional group tours from Da Nang visiting the assembly halls and ancient houses, before returning to Da Nang to stay. In 1993, Hoi An issued a resolution on tourism, and at this time, Hoi An also began selling tickets to visit the ancient town, but it was not effective.

Hoi An always offers many fascinating experiences for tourists (photo taken in October 2024). Photo: KHANH LINH

Since 1995, Hoi An has gradually become a bustling tourist destination, and many services have begun to emerge, such as dining, shopping, cooking classes, etc. In particular, quick tailoring services with names like Thu Thuy, YaLy, and A Dong Silk have appeared and become a "specialty" of Hoi An to this day.

According to Mr. Tran Thai Do, owner of Silksense Hoi An Hotel, stemming from the increasing demand from tourists for quick tailoring services, several tailoring shops have emerged in Hoi An, including his own A Dong Silk.

“Back then, my wife had been selling clothes at the market for a few years. Seeing the increasing number of tourists visiting Hoi An and the growing demand for quick tailoring services, in 1998 my wife and I decided to open a quick tailoring shop in the town,” Mr. Do recounted. Today, quick tailoring has become a familiar service, offering many attractive and enjoyable experiences for tourists visiting Hoi An.

The cultural values of the people of Hoi An

Mr. Nguyen Su, former Secretary of the Hoi An City Party Committee, shared that in 1993, Hoi An had its first resolution on tourism development, which allowed various economic sectors to engage in tourism. However, this also faced opposition from those who believed that only the state should be involved in tourism. A fierce ideological struggle even ensued regarding whether Hoi An needed to develop tourism.

"I remember during a People's Council meeting at that time, regarding the issue of expanding and building more hotel rooms in Hoi An, there were dissenting opinions. People said, 'The hospital lacks beds, the school lacks chairs, so what's the point of building hotel rooms?'" Mr. Su recalled.

Other

Customers getting custom-made clothing in Hoi An in August 2024. Photo: KHANH LINH

In 1994, Hoi An's economic structure remained in the order of fisheries, agriculture, industry, handicrafts, and tourism, with fisheries being identified as the leading sector. In 1995, after a conference on the preservation of Hoi An's ancient town, the idea of developing tourism became more prominent, stemming from the message of the late architect Kazid (Poland) who predicted that the people of Hoi An would make money and become wealthy from their ancient houses.

In 1997, following the re-establishment of the province, the Quang Nam Department of Trade and Tourism was officially established, marking a milestone for a new economic sector of the province and Hoi An. This is also clearly reflected in Hoi An's comprehensive economic strategy and planning, as it shifts its economic structure towards industry, trade, and services.

However, tourism truly "boomed" when the ancient town of Hoi An was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site (1999). At this point, the number of visitors increased dramatically, and tourism truly became a key economic sector of the city. While in 1999, over 202,000 tourists visited and stayed in Hoi An, by 2024 this number had increased to 4.426 million, nearly 22 times higher.

Looking back at the development of Hoi An tourism 50 years after liberation, Mr. Nguyen Su affirmed that the value that makes up the Hoi An tourism brand is not only the heritage and architectural works and ancient houses, but also the human element and the space of the town.

“If tourists only came to Hoi An to visit the ancient town, they would come once or twice. But why do they still come to Hoi An so often? Because behind that is the people of Hoi An, the elements that create the soul of the town. The people of Hoi An always create a sense of closeness but with moderation, friendliness but without being overly familiar or casual. Perhaps this is a characteristic that has been ingrained in their blood since the time of the trading port. Even with the town's atmosphere, it's quiet but not silent. The people of Hoi An have learned to sell that tranquility to create wealth,” Mr. Su observed.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/hoi-an-tu-diem-den-vo-danh-den-trung-tam-du-lich-quoc-te-3151590.html