Vietnam understands the value of tourism and the importance of giving tourists what they want. And apparently what they want is more nightlife, in Hanoi at least. So there is now a plan to lift a midnight curfew in order to lure more tourists to the capital city and it has people talking.
Earlier this week, Hanoi People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said at a national tourism conference in central Vietnam that many foreigners consider Hanoi’s night life “special”, and the city would lift its midnight curfew to let tourists have more fun.
Currently, all restaurants, cafes, nightclubs and karaoke parlors in Hanoi must close at midnight, though bars and clubs at top-tier hotels and resorts are allowed to stay open until 2 am.
By 2020, Hanoi is forecast to receive some 30 million tourists, 5.7 million of whom will hail from a foreign country, compared to 3.3 million foreign visitors who flocked to the city last year.
Lifting curfew hours in Hanoi was immediately welcomed the hospitality industry especially since there hasn’t been any similar curfews in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon).
Many tourists in the capital have complained about the lack of night activities, with some saying they have nothing to do other than drinking beer on sidewalks. Honestly this is what has been quoted in other media, we wouldn’t make this kind of thing up 🙂
