Hoi An should become leading ancient tourism city

Art performance at a ceremony marking 10 years of Hoi An being the city of central Quang Nam province - Photo: VNA

Recalling studies on the trading activity history of Hoi An – the UNESCO-recognised Cultural Heritage, PM Phuc stressed the need for more efforts to develop the city’s tourism sector in a sustainable manner in combination with cultural preservation.

With its prestige and advantage as an attractive destination in the Hue-Hoi An-My Son world cultural heritage triangle, with convenient transport and the capacity for intensive international integration, Hoi An can easily grasp all opportunities to grow stronger, PM Phuc affirmed.

However, he requested that the city harmoniously solves the relationship between economic development and environmental protection and cultural preservation, while ensuring social welfare, and considering heritage and ecological natural resources as the driving force for local growth.

He proposed taking advantage of trade villages and relic sites, while asking for a better business and service culture in each family, each individual and each enterprise for sustainable development and to protect Hoi An’s brand and prestige.

The Government leader required the leaders of Quang Nam province and ministries and sectors to help Hoi An to build its urban development planning by 2030 with a vision to 2050, a project on special policies and mechanisms to preserve and promote the value of the world cultural heritage to serve the city’s development in the future.

It is also essential to improve the efficiency of managing, preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritages, and mobilise resources to invest in restoring ancient streets, revolutionary historical relic sites, and traditional trade villages, he emphasised.

Each individual in Hoi An and Quang Nam in general has the responsibility for maintaining and promoting the values of tangible and intangible cultural heritages, he said, stressing the need to develop community-based tourism.

Hoi An will only become an attractive destination when its owners – Hoi An residents – are civilised people, PM Phuc stated.

Hoi An welcomed 3.2 million tourist arrivals in 2017, up nearly 200% compared with 10 years ago. The tourism, services and trade sectors accounted for 70% of the city’s total production value.

Tourism has stimulated the growth of local business and production activities. Locals’ living conditions have been improved, which is reflected through the per capita income rising from VND17 million (US$748) in 2008 to over VND40 million (US$1,760) last year.

On this occasion, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited and presented gifts to Heroic Mother Vo Thi Tang and Huynh Hoac, a 55-year Party membership senior official in Cam Thanh commune of Hoi An city.