Why has central Vietnam’s top UNESCO destination gone unusually quiet?

A visit by a Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper reporter to the UNESCO-listed heritage town on Thursday morning revealed a subdued tourism scene, with far fewer visitors than in previous years.

At 9:30 am, such streets as Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Bach Dang, which are typically crowded with tourists, were relatively deserted.

A few small tour groups followed their guides through the historic quarter, while most other visitors explored independently.

Even iconic attractions such as Cau Pagoda and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street appeared unusually quiet.

Pham Thi Ngoc, an employee at a shop on Tran Phu Street, said Hoi An normally enters its low tourism season from September onward.

However, she noted that the decline in visitors this year has been significantly more pronounced than in previous years.

“There are times when not a single tourist can be seen along an entire street, with only street vendors and sanitation workers around,” Ngoc said.

“This situation has persisted for about a month.”

Images of deserted streets have circulated widely on social media, attracting considerable attention.

“Where are all the tourists? Why is Hoi An so empty? I just don’t understand,” one local vendor wrote on Facebook alongside a photograph of a quiet street.

Accommodation providers and workshop operators in Hoi An have also confirmed that the unusually low number of visitors is a real concern this year.

Le Quoc Viet, vice-chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, attributed the downturn partly to economic difficulties.

He also pointed to the impact of media coverage of flooding and extreme weather during Hoi An’s 2025 flood season, which may have heightened travellers’ concerns about visiting the town.

Tran Thi Tuyet Dinh, owner of a local lodging facility, said cancellations for October and November this year were some 50 percent higher than in the same period last year.

Fear of flooding and natural disasters has made tourists more hesitant to visit the ancient town during this time of year, she explained.

“Our hotel is doing its best to provide guests with the highest standard of care,” she said.

“The weather has been beautiful this year, with plenty of sunshine, making it ideal for sightseeing. Yet there are so few visitors.”

The ancient town recorded over 121,400 paid sightseeing visits between September 6 and October 10, according to the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center.

Of these, 110,690 were international visitors.

Ticket sales generated more than VND14.1 billion (US$545,740).

In an effort to attract more visitors, the center is preparing to launch two themed tours, including ‘Exploring Hoi An’s Architectural Heritage’ and ‘Imprints of Traditional Tuong (classical Vietnamese opera).’

The programs are intended to enrich the cultural experiences available to tourists.

The center is also working with relevant authorities to step up inspections and address problems involving street vendors, persistent solicitation and aggressive attempts to attract customers.

In addition, it is reviewing and reorganising several boat-ticket sales points along the Hoai River to make sightseeing more convenient.