Discounts lure more visitors to Hoi An

A discount campaign in the ancient town of Hoi An has encouraged nearly 60 percent more domestic tourists to visit the ancient town this year.

The city government attributed the increase in visitor numbers to a VND4 billion (US$225,288) campaign to stimulate local tourism and upgrade infrastructure and local attractions, as well as the national “Impressive Vietnam” campaign.

Hoi An City People’s Committee Deputy Chairman Truong Van Bay said 317,000 tourists visited the World Heritage-listed in the first three months of this year, an overall increase of 5.8 percent on the first quarter of last year.

During the quarter, the number of domestic tourists rose by 57.6 percent over the same period last year.

The hotel occupancy rate in Hoi An, famous for its monthly lantern festival, is now 82.7 percent, higher than the usual rate of 75 to 80 percent. Read more

Hoian Earthhour

Hoi An responds to Earth Hour campaign
The ancient city of Hoi An, which has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site, will turn off its lights in an hour on March 28 to respond to the global “Earth Hour” campaign.
According to municipal authorities, all ancient houses, shops, hotels and restaurants in this tourist city will turn off their lights from 20.30 to 21.30 on March 28. Instead, they will use candles, candle wax and nut oil to fuel lamps and lanterns.
“Without neon lights, the ancient quarters and the area surrounding the Hoai River will be more dazzling with thousands of lanterns,” says Vo Phung, director of the Hoi An Municipal Department of Culture and Sports.
He says that local campaigners will encourage tourists and citizens to buy lanterns to be released on the Hoai River and the proceeds will go to Fund for the Poor.

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Hội An will celebrate Lantern Festival

The 1st Hoian lantern festival of 2009 will open at 20.30 of 25 Jan 2009 (30 Dec of Lunar Year) at Hoai river square, Hoian ancient town. The festival will be organised through the art lanterns making competition. The lanterns will be prepared by local enterprises, offices, schools, shops, handicraft worshops, etc. and displayed on Hoai river and at the streets along its two river banks from 25 Jan to 10 Feb 2009 (30 Dec to 16 Jan of Lunar Year). Especially, the record of the biggest lantern will be published.

Street festival to open in Hoi An

Central Quang Nam province will open a “street festival” on December 31, 2008 to promote Hoi An city’s image.
The festival, the first of its kind in Hoi An, a world cultural heritage, draws the participation of more than 300 local students and businesses, said the municipal People’s Committee deputy chairman, Nguyen Van Dung.

Central Quang Nam province will open a “street festival” on December 31, 2008 to promote Hoi An city’s image.
The festival, the first of its kind in Hoi An, a world cultural heritage, draws the participation of more than 300 local students and businesses, said the municipal People’s Committee deputy chairman, Nguyen Van Dung. Read more