Under the proposal, nightclubs, bars and restaurants should be permitted to stay open until 2am.

Currently, only nightclubs, bars and restaurants in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem District are allowed to open until 2 am from Friday to Sunday. Meanwhile, all performance shows, dance clubs and karaoke bars are banned from opening between 12 am and 8 am across the country, while the close time for Internet cafes and other recreational services is from 10 pm to 8 am.

Most popular tourist cities internationally have exciting nightlife, so Vietnam should rethink their policies to attract more tourists. If there are more entertainment choices, revenues would definitely increase, according to Nguyen Vu Long who owns many big hotels in Thanh Hoa Province’s Sam Son Town.

Long however noted that tourism sites need to diversity their night services such as shopping malls, night markets and even casinos. This is among very important factors so that travellers want to come back Vietnam for many times.

He claimed tourism sites in Vietnam remain poor. For instance, in Sam Son Town, besides beaches and food services, there were no entertainment parks, night markets or big shopping centres to lure travellers.

Concerns

Nguyen Khac Ha, director of Khanh Hoa Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, agreed on allowing recreational services to be open until 2 am. But, he added that bars and night clubs near residential areas had to ensure they didn’t disturb their neighbours.

Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, deputy director of Lam Dong Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the longer opening hours should be applied to tourism locations which attract a large number of foreign holidaymakers and service providers have to conform to regulations to keep the security order.

Nguyen Van Tuan, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, admitted that the midnight ban has partially affected the Vietnamese tourism sector’s revenues as tourists spend a lot in the evening.

Tuan said that the administration supported the Vietnam Tourism Association's proposal, highlighting the necessity of policies to manage recreational services which are permitted to operate until 2 am.

dtinews.vn