Many travel companies and lodging facilities in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam have expressed their doubts over the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s report which said that the province welcomed 4.6 million tourists in the first half of the year amid a slump in key tourist sites in the province.

The figure was twice that in the same period last year.

The province also reported its tourism revenue at VND4.6 trillion (US$195 million) in the six-month period.

The province will not adjust the figure, Nguyen Thanh Hong, director of the Quang Nam Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

He said that the figure included both international and domestic travelers visiting historical relics and entertainment venues in the province.

The number was relative and was sourced from tourist sites charging fees and those with free entry, with the number of tourists visiting two or more tourist sites counted once, Hong noted.

An ancient house in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province is put up for lease after the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: B.D. / Tuoi Tre

Meanwhile, a report by the administration in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province showed that the city welcomed nearly 1.9 million visitors in the first half of the year.

The figure was some 200,000 in My Son Sanctuary, also in Quang Nam.

Hoi An and My Son are two key tourist attractions in Quang Nam, and the total number of tourists to these two destinations was only over two million.

H.N.M., owner of a tourism enterprise in Quang Nam, said “Those bathing in waterfalls or visiting forests during weekends cannot be considered tourists. In reality, tourism firms have faced hardships after the [COVID-19] pandemic.

“The number of ancient houses put up for lease is high but many of them find no lessee. Many lodging facilities have filed for bankruptcy.

“I think the 4.6 million number is not close to the reality.”

Hoi An Ancient Town in Quang Nam Province is gloomy on weekdays. Photo: B.D. / Tuoi Tre

Many other firms shared the view, saying that the local tourism sector is facing multiple difficulties.

Summer is the peak travel season in Hoi An but the number of tourists this year is modest. Hotels and restaurants are experiencing a slump, said a restaurant in Hoi An.

A leader of the People’s Committee of Hoi An City said the situation has improved but the city’s tourism revenue has yet to recover as expected.

“Most of enterprises are encountering difficulties. The revenue from the entrance fee to Hoi An Ancient Town is small,” the official added.

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