Hoi An entrance fee, be careful, you might collect 1 but lose 3

According to the explanation of Chairman of Hoi An City People's Committee Nguyen Van Son, revenue from entrance tickets serves the preservation, restoration, and renovation of relics, infrastructure improvements in the old town, organizing tourism events, as well as supporting people in the restoration and renovation of houses... At the same time, mandatory ticket purchase for all visitors when visiting Hoi An ancient town is to ensure fairness for the locality and visitors.

Ticket sales hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily in summer and until 9:00 p.m. in winter.

Weigh the pros and cons

Tourism expert, Dr. Luong Hoai Nam, member of the Tourism Advisory Board, said that the story of charging entrance fees to Hoi An as well as many other destinations in Vietnam today needs to be considered comprehensively in many factors. First is the authority to collect fees.

According to Mr. Nam, there are two types of spaces that need to be clearly defined, the proposed place to collect fees is a public space or a owned space (for example, a museum, a relic site, etc.). If the space is owned, the owner has the right to collect fees. On the contrary, if it is a public space, it belongs to the entire population, belongs to everyone, and has no right to collect fees. Currently, not only Hoi An but also many public spaces such as parks and ancient villages in the north have set up gates to collect fees from visitors. This is incorrect and needs to be reviewed by competent authorities.

Tourism expert: 'Selling tickets to visit Hoi An is absurd and abnormal!'

The second factor, which is also the most important factor to consider, is the pros and cons of charging fees. Hoi An sells entrance tickets, which, if legal, on the one hand bring revenue to the city but on the other hand increase the cost of tourists. In the context of both tourism and the economy being difficult as they are now, all industries are focusing on stimulating demand with various promotional programs, so any move that increases the cost of people and tourists is contrary to the general policy.

"If the entrance fee is collected, will the number of visitors decrease? If the number of visitors decreases, how much will the revenue from spending, shopping, and eating out decrease compared to the revenue from ticket sales? Hoi An city leaders must calculate whether the fee collection will gain more or lose more and take responsibility for that calculation. This is similar to the visa story, earning 1 dong but sometimes losing up to 3 dong" - Dr. Luong Hoai Nam warned.

The third issue that Mr. Nam emphasized was price discrimination. The ticket price is issued at 120,000 VND/ticket for international visitors and 80,000 VND/ticket for domestic visitors. This policy of two prices to differentiate between domestic and foreign visitors has existed for several decades and is completely inconsistent with international practice. Vietnamese people traveling abroad mostly do not have to pay more than local people. Some tourist attractions apply discounts for local people based on the spirit that people living there, paying taxes there, and contributing to the locality should receive discounts on tickets and fees. That is another story, and is completely reasonable.

Experts say Hoi An's entrance fee collection from tourists is more harmful than beneficial.

Must aim for revenue through additional services

Agreeing, Mr. Phan Dinh Hue, Director of Vietcircle Travel Company, affirmed that Hoi An's practice of zoning off the entire city to collect entrance fees from visitors is unreasonable. Hoi An is not only a tourist destination but also plays the role of an urban area. This place not only serves visitors but also serves many other needs such as eating, shopping, visiting relatives or simply walking on the street. With such needs, charging fees is unfair.

"Old Town San Diego is also a famous tourist destination known as the best destination in America, but they do not sell entrance tickets. Only a few very special places in the city sell entrance tickets. In return, they sell services to collect money. Attractions are just factors that stimulate visitors to come, while tourism must aim for revenue through additional services, from restaurants, hotels, shopping..." - Mr. Phan Dinh Hue cited and evaluated: Meanwhile, the mindset of many provinces and cities in Vietnam is to directly collect, focusing on collecting entrance tickets, forgetting to calculate the economic structure of that place, how much percentage comes from ticket sales, how much from hotel systems, restaurants, services.

"If visitors do not come in, will they be thirsty, hungry and looking for food, or will they buy souvenirs? It is necessary to study and consider what Hoi An's economy will benefit or lose from collecting this entrance fee. Especially, in the context of the current difficult economic situation, the Prime Minister has repeatedly emphasized that the current priority is to take care of people's livelihood, jobs, and stimulate the economy. Does Hoi An's action go against the general situation and the Government's strategy?" - Mr. Hue raised the question.

Visitors must buy tickets to visit Hoi An ancient town from May 15.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/thu-phi-tham-quan-hoi-an-coi-chung-thu-1-ma-mat-toi-3-185230404094859649.htm