Ho An restricts island access

HOI AN, 29 June 2015: Hoi An’s authorities have decided to allow only 3,000 people to visit its Cu Lao Cham Islands every day to protect the biosphere site recognised by UNESCO.
The new rule will take effect 1 July.
Thanh Nien News reported that a rapid increase in arrivals has put the off-shore islands, (combined population of 2,500) under a lot of pressure, especially its environment and water resources.
Official figures showed that more than 75,000 tourists visited Cu Lao Cham, which was recognised as a world biosphere by UNESCO in 2009, over the first four months this year.
inside no 4That was nearly a three-fold increase over the same period last year. During the national holiday, 30 April to 1 May, up to 11,000 tourists visited the islands daily, the report said.
Hoi An Town People’s Committee vice chairman, Nguyen The Hung, told Thanh Nien media: “If we continue to let tourists flock to Cu Lao Cham, we will likely lose the islands in a few years.”
Hoi An’s tourism division chief, Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, said travel companies had previously asked authorities to adopt restrictions, as “signs of damage” were evident.
Authorities say they will work with businesses to control the situation so the number of visitors will always be within a set limit, the chief said, adding travel companies are now promoting stay-over services on the islands, as statistics showed that less than 10% of tourists spent a night on Cu Lao Cham.
Cu Lao Cham, is a group of small islands, some 15 km off Hoi An’s coast.

 sourced:ttrweekly.com