Night-time tourism expected to help Hanoi lure more visitors

After touring Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake, at 9pm, Sila Groove, a traveller from Thailand, asked her guide about entertainments at night in Hanoi, but received no answer.

She was on a three-day trip to the capital city in early July and visited many local famous tourist attractions. The trip was great for her except for nights of just staying at the hotel.

“I tried to hang around and find some entertainments but it seems that Hanoi is asleep at 2am. I had no other choice but dropping by a grocery to get some snacks and returning to my hotel room to watch movies,” said Sila.

Nguyen Ngoc Thao, a tour guide in Hanoi, said that some 80% of tourists asked her about dining and entertainment sites at night in Hanoi. However, Thao, a Hanoian who has done the job for six years, is unable to give her customers any address as the majority of local entertainment places close early, while the demand is huge.

“Kathleen Lackey, a visitor from the US, told me that it is hard to spend money at night, the fun seems to be interrupted,” said Thao.

Early this year, the Hanoi Tourism Department launched 15 night-time tourism products, including pedestrians’ spaces and weekend night markets in Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, and Tay Ho districts, while allowing some bars and restaurants in the Old Quarter to open until 2am.

Some businesses have partnered with destinations to organise night tours at the Hoa Lo Prison relic site, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature), Thang Long Imperial Citadel, and Hanoi Literature Museum.

Director of the Hanoi Tourism Department Dang Huong Giang said that promoting night-time tourism is one of the focuses of the city, aiming to turn it into an indispensable part of the local socio-economic development.

Although Hanoi's night-time economy has grown recently, it has yet to record a breakthrough. Night-time economic services in Hanoi are not diverse enough to meet the needs of tourists. Tourism revenue and travellers' spending are still low due to the absence of services after midnight.

Giang blamed the situation on a lack of mechanisms and policies for attracting investment in night-time tourism products, and a lack of space planning to build separate night tourism complexes.

Tran Hoang Phuong, Chairman and Director of Golden Smile Travel and Director of the Social Tourism Research Institute, said that night economy can benefit the whole local community. It is not only about shopping and dining, but also about taking photos, sightseeing, and experiencing night-time activities.

“Most of these services are the most expensive in a tour,” said Phuong.

He said that a traveller usually spends about VND7 - VND8 million (US$278 - US$318) for a 5-day, 4-night tour in Thailand, including food, transportation, and hotel. However, they are willing to spend VND3 - VND5 million per night to experience entertainment and dining activities in this country.

Normally, tourists are busy exploring in daytime, and spend money on shopping and entertainment at night, which provides good chances for local economic development, he said.

Phuong underlined that localities, including Hanoi, should change their mindset about night-time economy, which is becoming a travel trend in Asia.

He advised municipal authorities to send out a message that Hanoi will stay open at night for tourists, thus paving the way for night-time tourism to grow.