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Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online on December 28, Mr. Nguyen Van Son, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An City, affirmed that after an unprecedented difficult period due to COVID-19, Hoi An's tourism industry has made a spectacular comeback with soaring revenue. This is most clearly demonstrated by the number of visitors to the ancient town.
"The ticket sales figures for the Old Quarter are real, not fake."
Luxury resorts in Hoi An are currently operating at an average of 50% occupancy - Photo: BD
According to the People's Committee of Hoi An City, as of December 28th, Hoi An City had welcomed 4 million visitors to its attractions in 2023; of which international tourists remained the majority with over 3 million, an increase of more than 330% compared to 2022.
The influx of tourists to Hoi An has led to a recovery in the accommodation sector. Hotels, resorts, and villas are reopening and hiring more staff. Occupancy rates have reached 50%.
In 2023, Hoi An earned a total of over 190 billion VND from ticket sales for visiting the ancient town. In addition, tens of billions of VND were earned from other destinations such as Cham Island, Cam Thanh coconut forest, and Thanh Ha pottery village.
Comparing the figures above, it can be seen that the revenue from ticket sales to the main tourist attraction in Hoi An City, the pedestrian street, has increased by nearly 200 times compared to the 1.4 billion VND in 2021.
From a destination that averaged 5 million visitors per year, Hoi An has experienced unprecedented difficulties since the COVID-19 pandemic. Revenue from entrance tickets to the ancient town reached 32 billion VND in 2020, dropped to 1.4 billion VND in 2021, and then increased to 42 billion VND in 2022.
When Hoi An announced these figures, many expressed concerns. The Chairman of the Hoi An City People's Committee, Nguyen Van Son, affirmed that this was a socio-economic report, meticulously reviewed and compiled by various departments.
These figures reflect Hoi An's efforts to revive tourism, including frequent overseas trips by city leaders to promote and encourage tourists to return to Hoi An.
Tourism in the Old Quarter has cooled down a bit.
The nightly Bài Chòi folk art performance entertains visitors to Hoi An ancient town - Photo: BD The nightly Bài Chòi folk art performance entertains visitors to Hoi An ancient town - Photo: BD
Reporters from Tuoi Tre Online observed that the tourism business atmosphere in Hoi An has gradually become vibrant again after many years of stagnation.
Thanks to the regularly held nightly art performances, the number of visitors to Hoi An has not only increased month by month, but the average length of stay has now reached 2 days per visitor.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Ly, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An City, said that renting out state-owned historical houses in Hoi An Old Town was very difficult a few years ago. However, recently, when 11 houses were auctioned off, a business won the bid with a price higher than the starting price.
Nowadays, when you go into the old town center, you can see many shops and restaurants have reopened. The number of signs advertising old houses for rent or sale is fewer than in previous years.
On real estate business groups, each listing for renting a vintage house always receives a lot of attention, with common prices ranging from 20 million VND to hundreds of millions VND per house, depending on location and size.
Hoi An city has also organized more systematic shuttle services for tourists, leading to increased revenue from ticket sales.
Besides the Old Quarter, the Cam Thanh coconut forest has witnessed a strong resurgence of tourists. On average, this destination welcomes 3,000 visitors daily, mainly from South Korea. Restaurants, shopping areas, and the pier are always packed with tourists during peak hours.
Many accommodation businesses have become profitable.
Responding to information about many hotels and tourism establishments facing difficulties, being seized by banks, or being put up for sale or lease, Mr. Nguyen Van Son said that this does happen, but it applies to a group of businesses that "use tourism as a financial leverage."
Since 2019, difficulties in the tourism industry have led to decreased revenue, increasing pressure to repay bank loans and causing some businesses to face liquidity problems.
"Many large businesses specializing in pure tourism, with long-standing foundations in Hoi An, have persevered despite the difficulties and are now profitable again. Bookings at large, branded accommodations consistently remain high," Mr. Son affirmed.
