All Vietnamese visitors to Hoi An Ancient Town, a famous tourist destination in central Vietnam, except for Hoi An residents with legitimate reasons, will be required to buy entrance tickets from May 15. 

The tickets cost VND120,000 (US$5.1) each for foreigners and VND80,000 ($3.4) each for domestic tourists.

The move was made to enhance the management of the ancient town, according to the Hoi An City People’s Committee in Quang Nam Province. 

Despite the entrance tickets required for both local and international visitors, those buying them have been mainly foreign travelers and those undertaking tours. Vietnamese people have been exempted from the tickets.

At present, Hoi An Ancient Town welcomes around 15,000 visitors per day but the number of tickets sold is below 50 percent of the figure.

There will be two entrances to the ancient town, one for local residents and one for tourists.

Hoi An City’s decision has caused controversies.

Some said that the city has been well known for its hospitality so the application of the compulsory purchase of entrance tickets for all visitors will discourage tourists from returning to the city.

“It is unreasonable as someone may enter the ancient town to drink a cup of coffee or a bottle of water only, while the price of an entrance ticket is three to four times higher [than the coffee or water prices],” said a resident from Da Nang City, a neighbor of Quang Nam Province.

Truong Thi Ngoc Cam, director of the Center for Culture, Sports, Broadcasting and Television of Hoi An City, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the city is still listening to opinions of locals and tourists.

However, the tightened control over visitors to the ancient town will ensure fairness among them.

“If both visitors buying and not buying entrance tickets enter the ancient town and experience it like the others, it is unfair," Cam said.

“Hoi An cannot serve tourists buying entrance tickets well.”

Therefore, the city will arrange two entrances to the ancient town, with one for tourists and one for locals residing in the ancient town and those entering it for work.

To identify Hoi An residents and those entering the ancient town with legitimate reasons to prevent frauds, Cam said Hoi An City will put together patrol teams with members being local residents.

In the future, the city will apply technology to identify tourists and control those entering the ancient town.

In addition, the city has installed cameras in the ancient town, so those evading purchasing entrance tickets can be handled.

The town will be patrolled regularly and those who do not buy entrance tickets will be asked to leave it.

However, Hoi An will not immediately take strict measures but it will develop locals’ and tourists’ habit and improve their awareness of contributing to the development of the ancient town, which is also a world heritage site, through the entrance ticket purchase.

The city will invest in new spaces and more interesting artistic programs in the ancient town.

“Admission to Hoi An is currently much lower than tickets in other destinations," Cam said.

“Some people have even assessed Hoi An as a low-cost tourist destination. We do not want this brand.

“The pressure of environmental protection and management on the ancient town is huge, while the revenue is not corresponding to its value."

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