Hoi An remorse on lack of proper planning

Reading Hoi An's city chairman Nguyen Van Son feeling remorseful about losing coastline to resorts in central's Vietnam hub during last 25 years, it is always sad to observe how foreseen negative impact results in tourism destinations continue happening.

Aside of positive poverty eradication and heritage preservation, he mentions the resorts built as beachfront occupation and character disruption of local way of living and topics as:

🔻 Destruction of casuarina forests
🔻 Sand sand dunes disappearance
🔻 Accelerated coastal erosion and damaged shoreline

Since 2024 Vietnamese government must invest in embankments to protect the coast with limited results. "Fishing villages and landscape supposed to be preserved if we come back on time" are words Mr. Son is mentioning, despite over-construction is already a reality hitting the locality.

Proposed solutions pending government approval coming on the table up to 2035:

✔️ Revised master plan (once again)
✔️ Division into zones: functional, heritage, ecological, coastal residential and coastal tourism-service
✔️ Heritage conservation and promotion plan budgeted US$ 65 million

Hoi An is receiving 5-6 million visitors a year on just 60 square kilometres of land. Flooded areas in central areas continue happening year on year, plus eroded coastal beaches keep costs and efforts at same path.

Recalling talks with tourism leaders in Hoi An, explaining samples of what not to do and to work towards sustainability principles in long term vision, green certification among other important topics.

Other tourism spots in Vietnam suffering similar issues and we will keep advising on best protocols if want to be heard, the experience in several destinations can guide you through what can come in the future...