Highlights of tourism in the suburbs of Hoi An ancient town

Tourists visit the Cam Thanh mangrove forest. Photo: VINH LOC

Brand affirmation

On October 3rd, Cam Thanh village (Hoi An Dong ward) was honored by Forbes magazine (USA) as one of the 50 most beautiful villages in the world . This title once again affirms the unique values that Cam Thanh possesses.

Previously, Cam Thanh has been honored numerous times by domestic and international organizations, such as UNESCO's "Outstanding Tourist Destination in Asia- Pacific " for the Bay Mau coconut forest relic site (2023), or "Top 25 Most Attractive Boat Tour Activities in the World" for its basket boat experience in the coconut forest (2024)...

Located downstream of the Thu Bon River, Cam Thanh village boasts unique landscapes, nature, and ecosystems, especially its 106 hectares of mangrove forest and characteristic traditional crafts such as bamboo handicrafts, coconut leaf weaving, and seafood harvesting.

Over the years, Cam Thanh village, with its Bay Mau coconut forest, has become an attractive destination for tourists worldwide. In 2024, more than 1.1 million visitors toured the coconut forest, generating nearly 31 billion VND in total revenue.

In the first nine months of 2025 alone, more than 905,000 visitors came to the coconut forest (mostly international tourists), generating revenue of over 27.1 billion VND, an increase of approximately 9% compared to the same period, reaching 84.87% of the planned target.

Similarly, Thanh Ha pottery village (Hoi An Tay ward) is a destination recognized with outstanding titles such as "National Intangible Cultural Heritage" (2019), or "Best Community Tourism Destination" awarded by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on September 27, 2025.

For Tra Que vegetable village (Hoi An Tay ward), the awarding of the title "World's Best Tourist Village 2024" by UN Tourism (November 15, 2024) firmly affirms the unique values of the craft village in tourism development and attracting visitors.

Tourists experience pottery making at Thanh Ha pottery village. Photo: VINH LOC

Mr. Bui Van Dung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An Tay Ward, affirmed that these titles are not only a recognition of efforts in preserving and promoting the value of traditional crafts, but also a driving force to expand and develop tourism activities, focusing on the community, and promoting local economic and social development.

In 2024, Thanh Ha pottery village welcomed nearly 510,000 visitors and Tra Que vegetable village welcomed nearly 35,000 visitors. In the first nine months of 2025 alone, the number of visitors to Thanh Ha pottery village and Tra Que vegetable village is projected to exceed 199,000 and over 28,000 respectively.

The community benefits.

The area surrounding Hoi An's Old Town boasts numerous traditional craft villages, some hundreds of years old, most of which have now developed in conjunction with tourism. This has not only helped preserve these crafts but also contributed to creating stable livelihoods and income for local residents.

In Hoi An Dong ward, as of the end of September 2025, 1,347 residents were involved in transporting tourists to experience the Bay Mau coconut forest using traditional basket boats, earning an average monthly income of 10-15 million VND per person. Notably, many of these workers are women and elderly people.

With Thanh Ha pottery village and Tra Que vegetable village, tourism development has had a positive impact on the local communities. Besides providing a regular income for people directly involved in tourism through craft demonstrations and guided tours, it also creates resources for the locality to effectively preserve and promote traditional crafts and villages.

Traditional craft villages in the areas surrounding the Hoi An heritage site are increasingly attracting tourists. Photo: VINH LOC

Chairman of Hoi An Tay Ward People's Committee, Bui Van Dung, shared that after nearly 25 years of tourism development, Thanh Ha pottery village has become a typical model for the city and the whole country in developing craft village tourism.

In 2001, when tourism first began, only 7 households registered to provide services. Today, there are 37 households with 68 craftspeople, including 5 city-level artisans, who regularly participate in production and provide services for tourists' sightseeing and experiences.

In particular, from the revenue generated from entrance tickets, all craftspeople receive a regular monthly allowance based on their skills and contribution to tourism activities, averaging approximately 52.1 million VND per person per year.

Similarly, in Tra Que vegetable village, the implementation of guided tours has brought many benefits to the community. Besides generating direct income for participating households through organizing experiential activities and serving basil seed drinks to visitors, most households engaged in the profession also receive support in the form of seedlings, fertilizers, and tools from funds allocated from tour ticket sales.

In addition, the infrastructure has been improved, including paving, renovating internal roads, and planting flowers to create scenic highlights for the traditional craft village, meeting the needs of tourists for sightseeing and experiences.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/nhung-diem-sang-du-lich-vung-ven-pho-co-hoi-an-3308359.html