Is homestay still available?

Residential areas are built close to homestays in Cam Thanh, Hoi An.

“In the past, my old house always had 2-3 guests staying and experiencing the family. They were like people from far away coming back to their old hometown to find familiar memories, but now the house has to be upgraded to become a simple rental accommodation” - Mr. HQK (an official of a State agency in Hoi An) said.

A bland experience

In Hoi An, Thanh Dong, Thanh Nhat, Thanh Nhi… Cam Thanh and An My communes (Cam Chau) are the places where homestay services flourish the most. In 2017, you can see homestay signs everywhere in alleys and residential areas.

Many homeowners who work in the fields every day, work on rice and grow vegetables, also learn how to smile, how to speak, and even learn English to invite foreign guests to stay at their homes.

The owner of a homestay in Thanh Nhat village, Cam Thanh commune in 2017 told us that every month, the family's 3 second-floor rooms for guests to experience also generated an income of about 20 million VND/month.

That was the period when... every family opened a homestay in Hoi An. Hoi An tourism at this "peak" period welcomed an average of 4-5 million visitors/year, leading to an increase in demand for accommodation and experiencing the life of local residents.

But now, when returning to the owner's house in Thanh Nhat village, everything is different. The house is still used for rent, a solid two-story concrete house located deep in an alley full of homestay signs, peacefully under the areca trees. The only thing is that there are much fewer guests than before.

European visitors love to experience the life and culture of the indigenous people of Hoi An.

People only visit occasionally, and the customer experience has also changed. It is no longer the “luxury Western” of the past, but now it is mainly backpackers with limited finances. Choosing a place to stay is no longer about learning about the life and culture of the local residents, but just a place to stay.

“The guests who come to stay here rarely have any contact with us. We open rooms for them to rent, clean, and rent motorbikes for them. It’s just that simple, not as fun as before,” said Ms. HKL, owner of a small homestay in Thanh Dong, Cam Thanh.

Going into the residential areas that were once dense with homestays in Hoi An also saw the same gloomy scene. For many reasons, the guest experience has gradually faded, leading to fewer guests at homestays than before.

People still welcome guests to stay, but it is no longer a homestay but just a room or house for rent. People are no longer the subject of the service or the tourism product but act as the owner of the facility.

Try homestay from ancient house

With the ancient town of Hoi An and its resident community with its unique beliefs, traditions, personalities and culture, homestay in Hoi An is the right choice to promote local cultural values and improve people's lives. This is part of the reason why Hoi An City recently wants to put houses in Hoi An ancient town into a trial accommodation program.

This idea is expected to bring a unique tourist experience, exploit the value of heritage space, help families living for generations in the old town have more joy and income. However, when it was just launched as a pilot, it immediately received mixed opinions.

Chairman of Hoi An City People's Committee Nguyen Van Son said that the purpose of Hoi An is to promote the values of relics, especially ancient houses in alleys and lanes. The experience of eating and staying with residents in the ancient town complex is also a product that has not been available anywhere else. However, in response to public comments, it is necessary to have flexible adjustments to create a model place for homestay in Hoi An.

Homestay on the verge of deformation

According to statistics from the People's Committee of Hoi An City, the city currently has about 300-400 homestays. In 2017, the number of homestays in Hoi An was 297. After 7 years, compared to the old number, the number has not increased significantly.

As a visitor to Hoi An looking for a place to stay, we went to An Hoi area on the other side of the Hoai River. This is a “version of the old town”, which used to be a residential area but was planned to create a night entertainment area for visitors.

It was quite overwhelming when a homestay owner invited me to stay and told me that his homestay had up to... dozens of rooms, even though the land area was only around 100 ^square meters.

“This area is near the old town so guests come often. We have been doing this business since the old days, we welcome guests when they come. It brings income and joy” - the homestay owner said.

On the other side of An Hoi bridge, there are quite a few homestays with dozens of rooms, hiring staff. Although called homestays, they are actually no different from apartments for daily rent, a low-cost accommodation for the tourism industry.

An Irish male tourist once traveled to Hoi An and complained to us that he was a bit disappointed when choosing a homestay in Hoi An for his experience.

“My wife and I booked a week to stay and visit Hoi An. When we looked online, we were very interested in the culture and people of Hoi An, so we chose a homestay in Cam Nam to stay.

But in reality, we rarely met the owners, they also did not know how to speak English, and when we asked for anything, they came to help like a waiter. We decided to leave early because we did not experience anything about the culture and people in the house we stayed in" - the Irish guest said in disappointment.

Ms. Pham Thi Linh Chi, head of the Hoi An Homestay & Villa Association, also expressed disappointment with the form of homestay in Hoi An. Ms. Chi said that many homestays were licensed “from the beginning” but have now in fact transformed into cheap accommodation for tourists to rent.

“There are many homestays we have been to that are… surprising. The land area is about 100m2 but people built 20 rooms close together. With that number, how can guests experience the host? This phenomenon is very common, that is why homestays are no longer attractive,” Ms. Chi said.

According to Ms. Chi, if understood correctly, homestay is a type of experience with depth. Knowing how to do it and exploit it will be valuable, even not inferior to villas and resorts.

“European guests love to experience the culture, life, and people of the places they visit. The host just lives as he is, simple, honest, neat, clean, and welcoming. When it’s time to cook them a meal with freshwater fish and garden vegetables, it’s already perfect. But if you just welcome guests in and don’t interact, separating guests from the host, it’s no longer a homestay,” said Ms. Linh Chi.

Another reason that makes homestays less attractive, according to Ms. Chi, is that villas are springing up like mushrooms in Hoi An. These villas are not only affordable but also clean, private, have swimming pools and gardens, so guests love them. Meanwhile, the weak point of homestay infrastructure is that there is no swimming pool, so guests who come in hot weather will lack services.

Many seminars, policies and moves to strengthen management and limit licensing from the government, but up to now, homestays in Hoi An have not really been effective.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/homestay-bay-gio-con-khong-3142266.html