Many visitors have complained about the environmental fees which may be charged at a cave on Ly Son Island off the central province of Quang Ngai.

Cau Cave on Ly Son Island

Visitors to the island may be charged VND20,000 (USD0.48) when visiting Cau Cave on Ly Son Island.  

Nguyen Thi Minh, a resident on the island, said that around a week ago, some people came to Cau Cave area to clean the beach and then set up a fence. They also hung a board saying that visitors who come to the cave have to pay the environmental fees.

"Cau Cave is one of Ly Son Island’s attractions. This is also a special feature of the island. The fence has partially damaged the unspoilt environment of the island”, Ly said.

Nguyen Van Hai, a resident at Chanh Lo Ward, Quang Ngai City, said that the island has become more poplar with local and foreign tourists since September 2014 when it was linked to the national power grid. 

Bui Van Thuan, a visitor from HCM City, said the infrastructure of the island remains poor and needed to be upgraded. They argued that without any improvements it was questionable whether there should be a charge. 

Pham Thi Huong, vice chairwoman of Ly Son District People’s Committee admitted the local authorities intended to charge fees. However, that was only the proposal and it was awaiting provincial approval. “The fees has not yet been applied as the district is still waiting for the decision from the province,” Huong added. 

Huynh Thi Phuong Hoa, deputy director of Quang Ngai Province’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, said that the state budget for Ly Son Island’s development weren’t enough, so the environmental fees were expected to help upgrade the island’s infrastructure. However, the fees should be considered carefully not to affect the image of the island among travellers.

dtinews