Hoi An leader remorseful about losing coastline to resorts

More than 25 years after being recognized as a UNESCO world cultural heritage, the city gets 2,000-5,000 visitors a day, and nearly 10,000 on weekends.

Tourism has enriched locals and become a major source of revenue for the city, as well as Quang Nam Province. VnExpress speaks with Son about the city's journey so far and the challenges ahead.

How would you assess Hoi An's transformation over the past 25 years since achieving world heritage status?

Over 25 years ago Hoi An was still a town, with poverty rates at 20-30%. Today poverty has been eradicated, with only policy-supported households - those without people able to work -- remaining. Hoi An has made positive strides in various areas, including scenery, environment, heritage preservation, and quality of life.

The most important achievement is the complete preservation of the ancient town's architecture. Once a heritage site on the brink of collapse, with deteriorating relics, it has now been restored and retains its value. Craft villages and folk arts have also been revitalized.

Hoi An has not only focused on preservation but also on leveraging its ecological, cultural and heritage values for tourism. Over the past 25 years Hoi An's tourism industry has grown from just 500,000 - 700,000 visitors a year and just a few thousand dollars in ticket sales to 4.6 million visitors in 2024, with over 60% being international tourists.

Nguyen Van Son, chairman of Hoi An City, speaks in an interview with VnExpress. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh

What change are you most proud of?

What I am most proud of is Hoi An's approach: for the community, based on the community, and serving the community. This is vital because poor management and exploitation will lead residents to resist or even reject the heritage.

A heritage site is best preserved and its value maximized when it benefits the people. For local authorities to govern, heritage must bring benefits to residents, improving their lives.

Hoi An has followed that path. Every policy and direction has been geared toward the people, relying on them to preserve and enhance the heritage. Local people have benefited the most through trading, leasing assets and operating businesses. Many have become wealthy.

Some homes worth VND50-100 billion (US$2 - 4 million) are now rented out, fetching owners around VND100 million ($3,800) a month. From relying on heritage houses to live, people have turned to conserving and restoring them. They also promote and maintain the cultural and traditional way of life in the ancient town.

What changes do you most regret?

In the early stages of tourism development, under an open-door investment policy, Hoi An attracted many businesses. This was necessary to grow tourism. However, we could not foresee the environmental and landscape impacts.

Hoi An allowed resorts to be built on the coast, occupying the beachfront and disrupting the character of fishing villages and the local way of life. These developments also destroyed coastal casuarina forests, accelerating erosion and causing damage to the shoreline. Now the government must invest in embankments to protect the coast.

Hoi An coast suffers erosion in March 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh

If we could go back a few decades, Hoi An would not have allowed such development. We would have preserved the casuarina forests and sand dunes to maintain the fishing villages and the landscape.

Another regret is the loss of its heritage caused by tourism and urban growth. Many ancient houses are no longer owned by locals but by outsiders who have bought or rented them.

These houses served three functions: living, worship and commerce. Now, many are used only for business. They open at 8 a.m. by employees and close at 10 p.m.

In the past, on the first and 14th days of each lunar month, the town would be filled with the scent of incense as families performed ancestral worship. Today many houses are just storefronts. Ancestral worship is neglected, and the spirit of the old town is fading. Houses without residents also pose fire hazards.

What are the challenges for the ancient city now and in future?

According to scientists, Hoi An will be impacted by climate change. The town already floods during the rainy season. With rising sea levels, flooding will become more frequent and severe.

Hoi An's ancient houses, built with lime, plaster and wooden structures, deteriorate when soaked.

In the past traditional materials like molasses, plant resin and natural mortars made houses more resilient. Today cement-based buildings are more prone to cracking and leaking.

Climate change also increases the risk of flooding in many areas of Hoi An, changing the environment and making life harder for residents while distorting heritage features.

 

 

Hoi An leader remorseful about losing coastline to resorts

Video Hội An ngập lụt

Urbanization is another major pressure. Hoi An is a growing tourist city that hosts five to six million visitors a year on just 60 square kilometers of land.

Besides tourists, many workers also live here, increasing the need for housing, electricity, water, and waste services.

If not managed properly, these needs can affect the heritage. Building housing and urban areas often requires converting farmlands.

Building treatment plants and other projects impacts the landscape and environment.

Hoi An also faces concerns about public safety. A city with many tourists and high income attracts both good and bad actors. Crimes like theft and drug use can arise, threatening public security.

Infrastructure is under strain. The streets are narrow and land is limited, making road expansion difficult. This leads to traffic congestion and noise pollution.

Many houses in Hoi An's Ancient Town are now leased to businesses. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh

Does the city have any solutions for these challenges?

To address these issues, Quang Nam Province has approved a revised master plan for Hoi An City for until 2035.

Hoi An will be divided into seven functional zones, including a heritage urban area, ecological island urban zone, coastal residential area, and coastal tourism-service urban zone.

The government has developed a heritage conservation and promotion plan for the old town, with a budget of VND1,670 billion ($65 million). The plan envisions Hoi An as an eco-cultural-tourism city, positioned as a key driver for tourism development in the central coastal region and nationally, and as a global destination.

The proposal is being reviewed by relevant ministries before submission to the prime minister. If approved, it will provide the legal foundation for heritage preservation and development and unlock resources for Hoi An's growth.

The city has also crafted a five-year program focusing on breakthroughs in infrastructure, human resources, technology, building a smart city, and digitizing heritage for clearer management.

How do you envision Hoi An in 10 - 20 years?

Hoi An, as a world cultural heritage city, will continue to endure. It was built and preserved by our ancestors, and it is now our duty to protect it for future generations. With ongoing support from the province and the nation, the city will keep improving its spaces, environment and development opportunities.

Hoi An will stay a key tourism destination in Quang Nam and the central region, attracting both local and international visitors. With the right policies, strong commitment and shared responsibility, I believe Hoi An can be conserved and developed.