After nearly 5 months of piloting the experiential accommodation model with residents in the old town, the People's Committee of Hoi An City announced that it has just announced adjustments to some regulations.
According to this new regulation, households wishing to welcome guests to stay in Hoi An ancient town must meet the following conditions: Be a native resident of Hoi An, have a permanent address and actually live in the house where the activity is planned to be held. Be a typical cultural family and have prestige in the local community, or be recognized as a cultural family for 3 consecutive years...
Prioritize and encourage households to organize their lives closely related to production and business activities in traditional industries and occupations; have cultural and artistic activities for tourists to participate in and experience.
From a dilapidated, deserted and lifeless old town in 1999, Hoi An has changed incredibly thanks to tourism development - especially when it was recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage. However, the human factor of Hoi An is considered the most important "heritage". Therefore, it is necessary for the government to focus on preserving and promoting the cultural values of human kindness.
However, the regulation that households that "achieve the title of exemplary cultural family, or are recognized as cultural families for 3 consecutive years" are only allowed to do business in accommodation and welcome guests in the old quarter is not appropriate. In fact, this regulation has signs of violating the law.
Because "cultural family" is just a certificate of movement, rewarding the cultural activities and behavior of households. It is not a legal document to be used as a basis, to include in the prohibition or permission of business. The Constitution also stipulates that everyone has the right to freely do business in industries that are not prohibited by law.
Hoi An encourages households to engage in traditional production and business activities; to have cultural and artistic activities, to organize accommodation for guests, in order to have more "vitality" in the old town, to maintain and promote cultural activities, and to spread them to tourists. But the old town is in a state of overload. Most of the architectural space of Hoi An's ancient houses is not divided into rooms, lacks sanitary facilities... especially it will be very difficult to meet the fire prevention and fighting issues when doing accommodation in ancient, wooden houses... Now, bringing more guests to stay in ancient houses is a solution that contradicts reality.
The regulation that households must have a certificate of cultural family status to be allowed to provide accommodation and receive guests in the Old Quarter is unfair. Because accommodation businesses in areas outside the Old Quarter do not need a "cultural family" certificate. Not having this certificate does not mean that other households, businesses, and individuals who are providing accommodation are... uncultured.
Furthermore, after 3 consecutive years, if the "cultural family" certificate is not granted, will the accommodation and guest reception business be suspended or banned?
Therefore, using the "cultural family" certificate to strictly regulate whether or not it is allowed to do business in accommodation and welcoming guests in the old quarter not only causes controversy but also causes instability in both reason and emotion.
