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From Quang Ninh, we visited Hoi An (Quang Nam) at the end of June 2022. Before going, I had read information about price gouging in Hoi An's old town that tourists had recently posted on social media. One female tourist said she had to pay 250,000 VND for a boat ride, even though she had previously been offered a boat ride by a tout in the old town for just over 100,000 VND. A group of tourists from Ho Chi Minh City also shared their frustration at being charged a different price for a boat ride than initially agreed upon.
Reportedly, the number of boats on the Hoai River has increased significantly, with over 300 unlicensed boats transporting tourists along the river to admire the ancient town. On weekend nights, boats are densely packed along the stretch of river from Hoai River Square to Cam Nam Bridge. The area around An Hoi Bridge becomes chaotic with hundreds of boats crowding around, soliciting tourists, and many even use portable loudspeakers to blare loud music.
Tourists take boat rides in Hoi An City.
The boat ride for our group of three was charged at the publicly listed price of 150,000 VND. Upon arrival, we saw Hoi An's patrol force spread out in various locations, ready to assist tourists and handle any incidents that might arise.
We came to Hoi An for its rare tranquility and peace. Improving the services along the Hoai River is essential and will make Hoi An even more beautiful. The authorities' efforts to restore the inherent peace will reassure tourists and encourage them to choose Hoi An as their destination. We hope the local authorities will maintain this order and peace so that everyone who visits Hoi An is satisfied.
Mr. Nguyen Van Lanh (Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An City, Quang Nam):
Determined to preserve the culture of boat racing.
After a period of stagnation due to the pandemic, boat tours on the Hoai River have seen some distortions in recent months. Hoi An City is determined to restore the authentic cultural aspects of boat tourism on the Hoai River. For several days now, various departments and members of the boat tour union have been working diligently to clean up the riverbanks. The city is also determined to crack down on the chaotic and unruly practices of touts vying for customers and arbitrarily extorting tourists.
To regulate boat tours, from June 28th, the People's Committee of Hoi An City requested the Tourist Boat Union to publish and publicly display boat tour prices at docking points and ticket counters in the Old Town. Specifically, for a 20-minute boat ride for a group of 4-5 people, the ticket price will be 200,000 VND (in red). For boats carrying 1-3 people per trip, the ticket price will be 150,000 VND (in yellow).
In addition to strictly managing the boat fleet through the Tourist Boat Union, the People's Committee of Hoi An City also mobilizes various forces and specialized departments to patrol and monitor the organization of tourist reception on the river. Violations will be severely punished, resulting in temporary suspension of operations. Furthermore, Hoi An is also developing a project to dredge the riverbed, expand the operating space for boats, and design an art program on the Hoai River.
