Foreign tourists complain about overcrowding, hawkers in Hoi An

Bulgarian Simon Zhelyazkov, who visited Hoi An in 2023 and during the Lunar New Year in 2024, hails the city as beautiful but complains about the excessive crowds.

He says the constant flow of tourist buses into the old town made him uncomfortable.

In the evening, when the lanterns were lit, he felt Hoi An was "too small for the huge number of tourists," he says.

"Hoi An is probably a typical example of overtourism."

Walking in the narrow streets was also difficult because of the crowds, he adds.

Tourists in an alley in Hoi An. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh

With a land area of 44 square kilometers and a population of over 100,000, Hoi An has a population density of 1,582 people per square kilometer, 4.9 times the national average and 40 times the world average.

It received 4.4 million visitors in 2024, with 2,000-5,000 arriving daily and nearly 10,000 on weekends.

Huynh Anh Trung, a tour guide, says many visitors complain about the overcrowding in Hoi An.

He says visitors flock to main attractions like the Pagoda Bridge, Tran Phu Street and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street despite the city's efforts to disperse tourists to other neighborhoods.

Many tourists are also frustrated by street vendors who constantly solicit their custom.

Jo Davis recalls an incident when a vendor repeatedly shoved several items into her son's hand and "asked for money."

Her son had to put his hand in his pocket to avoid being harassed.

Wary of the overcrowding, Hoi An authorities introduced an entrance fee for people coming in tour groups. Ticket prices are VND120,000 ($5.11) for international visitors and VND80,000 for Vietnamese.

They are developing a parking lot on Vo Chi Cong Street on the outskirts so that visitors can be transported by electric vehicles around the city.

They are promoting entertainment and the night-time economy in suburban areas to disperse visitors.

A street vendor approaches two foreign tourists in Hoi An, February 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh

City chairman Nguyen Van Son says street vendors have long been part of Hoi An's culture. There was a plan to manage them but there were enforcement difficulties, he says.

He admits there are no regulations for preventing people from selling accommodation, dining and shopping options to tourists, but says Hoi An is planning to develop a dedicated commercial area to better manage street vendors and prevent negatively impacts on tourism.

Nguyen Duc Hanh, CEO of All Asia Vacation, a company specializing in high-end tours for wealthy inbound tourists, says Hoi An is under pressure from mass tourism.

Many of his wealthy clients want to visit the heart of the old town but often have to be wary to avoid the crowds as "no billionaire or millionaire wants to be stuck among 10,000 people," he says.

Beyond the central area, overcrowding is also affecting the Cam Thanh nipa palm forest and Tra Que vegetable village, where tourism experiences have become increasingly commercialized are losing their authenticity.

To address the problem of overcrowding and move toward sustainable development, Hanh suggests that Hoi An should reorient its strategy to focus on the high-end tourism segment.

This will ensure quality experiences by preventing overcrowding and over-commercialization, preserve the local heritage and provide real value to the community, he says.

New shopping centers, craft villages and tourist attractions need to be developed to help disperse visitors, he adds.