Entrance fees: Must be regulated and agreed upon.

Improve service quality

Circular 85/2019/TT-BTC issued by the Ministry of Finance provides guidance on the list, principles, basis for determining the collection, exemption, reduction, management, and use of fees and charges under the authority of the Provincial People's Council and the People's Council of centrally-governed cities. According to the Circular, the list of fees under the authority of the Provincial People's Council includes entrance fees for scenic spots (under local management); entrance fees for historical relics (under local management)... The Circular clarifies that entrance fees for scenic spots, historical relics, and cultural works and museums are revenues intended to partially or fully offset the costs of preservation, restoration, and management of scenic spots, historical relics, cultural works, and museums, as well as the costs of fee collection activities.

The Tan Trao Historical, Cultural and Ecological Relic Area Management Board was the first unit in the province to implement entrance fee collection. Fees have been collected here since the 1990s.

According to Mr. Ly Manh Thang, Deputy Director in charge of the Provincial Museum, the revenue from entrance fees has increased year after year. 40% of the funds are retained to pay salaries for 15 contracted staff (including tour guides and security guards), and 60% is allocated to operational activities. In 2022 alone, revenue from entrance fees reached over 2.4 billion VND.

The facilities within the Tan Trao Special National Historical Site are regularly renovated and repaired using funds from entrance fees.

According to Mr. Thang, this funding, in addition to paying salaries for contract employees, provides significant support for the restoration and preservation of items within the Special Historical Site. Because most of the items are made of natural materials such as bamboo and palm leaves, after only a short time, the weather causes damage to many items, such as mold and termites…

At many tourist destinations, the practice of charging entrance and service fees is beginning to emerge. For example, at Khuoi Nhi Waterfall in Thuong Lam commune (Lam Binh district), although there is no entrance fee, each visitor pays 10,000 VND for environmental sanitation services provided by the Thuong Lam Youth Cooperative.

Mr. Chau Thanh Nga, Secretary of the Youth Union of Thuong Lam commune, said: "Every day, the Khuoi Nhi waterfall tourist site welcomes dozens of tourist groups to visit and experience, and as a result, the amount of waste left behind by tourists is considerable. Previously, sightseeing activities here were spontaneous, with litter scattered everywhere, negatively affecting the environment and landscape. The Thuong Lam Youth Cooperative was assigned by the Lam Binh District People's Committee to take responsibility for maintaining environmental hygiene in the waterfall area and ensuring the safety of tourists. The collection of environmental sanitation fees at this tourist site has been effective, not only maintaining environmental hygiene but also allowing tourists to receive guidance from cooperative members on sightseeing and experiences, or warnings about dangerous areas."

Resolution No. 24/2022/NQ-HĐND of the Provincial People's Council dated December 10, 2022 stipulates:
► Entrance fee for national-level scenic spots and above: 40,000 VND/person/visit.
► Other scenic spots: 20,000 VND/visit/person;
► Entrance fee to historical sites and cultural buildings/museums: 20,000 VND/person/visit.

According to the Secretary of the Youth Union of Thuong Lam commune, this fee is currently only enough to cover the expenses of the members of the Thuong Lam Youth Cooperative for environmental sanitation. In the long term, in addition to guiding and protecting the environment, investment in beautification should also be prioritized to make the fee collection more worthwhile.

Since the beginning of March 2023, the "Tree of Happiness" check-in point (Na Hang town), which had been renovated and redecorated after a period of natural exploitation, has been handed over to the Town Youth Union for protection, supervision, and fee collection from tourists wishing to check in. According to Mr. Le Van Thai, Secretary of the Town Youth Union, before being assigned to a specific unit for supervision and fee collection, this check-in point, although beautiful, was quite messy due to livestock roaming freely and waste from visitors. After the investment and supervision, the Town Youth Union has assigned guards to clean up regularly, and has also implemented a plan to replace the trees and flowers planted around the check-in point according to the season, contributing to environmental hygiene and enhancing the aesthetics of the area.

Responsibility towards the destination

According to Mr. Le Thanh Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the province, the collection of fees at tourist attractions in the province has been specifically regulated in Resolution No. 24/2022/NQ-HĐND dated December 10, 2022. Because this Resolution is quite new, currently, only the Tan Trao Special National Historical Site, the Happy Tree check-in point, and Khuoi Nhi Waterfall... in the province are collecting service fees.

Recently, based on proposals from various agencies, units, and the People's Committees of districts and cities, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism reported to the Provincial People's Committee for consideration and approval of scenic spots, historical relics, and cultural works in the province.

According to Comrade Son, collecting entrance fees to historical sites and scenic spots not only offsets the costs of collecting, managing, and utilizing the revenue from entrance fees at the unit, but also supplements funding for regular operations and the preservation, restoration, and repair of historical sites and museums. At the same time, it contributes to further improving the quality of service for visitors, and gradually raises awareness and fosters a sense of responsibility and habit among the people in contributing to the preservation and promotion of the nation's cultural heritage.
Text and photos: Nguyen Dat - Ngoc Hung

Final lesson: The method is what matters.

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