A boom in tourism has resulted in a lot of consequences in famous places across the Southeast Asian country, namely Da Lat, Vung Tau, Da Nang, and Phu Quoc among others.
In Da Lat, a city blessed with beautiful natural landscapes and year-round favorable weather in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, local residents are getting tired of the increasingly frequent traffic jams and rising tourist nunmbers.
“My daily activities have been turned upside down. The city is swarming with visitors while the local infrastructure is not capable of meeting such a high demand,” said Tran Phong Nha, a 32-year-old resident.
Water and power cuts often occur during peak seasons, Nha said, adding that authorities have been unable to solve the problem.
Da Lat welcomed seven million visitors in 2018, up two million compared to 2017 and five million compared to 2010.
Meanwhile, the population here is only around 300,000.
Lam Dong Province currently has more than 1,350 hotels offering 20,220 rooms, most of which are situated in Da Lat.
Homestays have also been mushrooming across the province.
A tourism official has voiced his concern over the rapid growth of Da Lat’s tourist sector.
report by the World Bank, Vietnam has experienced a boom in both inbound and outbound tourism over the past decade.
The number of international arrivals to Vietnam has nearly quadrupled during this period, from 4.2 million in 2008 to 15.5 million in 2018.
Domestic tourism, which is significantly greater in volume than arrivals from abroad, witnessed a similar surge – a fourfold increase in the number of domestic trips, from 20.5 million in 2008 to 80 million in 2018.
Brian Mtonya, a senior economist at the World Bank, suggested that Vietnam should not sacrifice its environment and cultural assets, which are very important factors, in exchange for tourist growth.
It is time for Vietnam to make strategic decisions to ensure long-term sustainability, Mtonya stated.
If no action is taken, the country could face the consequences of overtourism and environmental, cultural, and social degradation, according to the World Bank report.
