Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee, Nguyen Duc Chung, has proposed to lift the midnight ban on local bars, clubs and cafes to improve the entertainment services in the capital.
All restaurants and cafes close after midnight in Hanoi
In Hanoi, all restaurants and cafes close after midnight, leaving the country’s capital bereft of nightlife. Only bars and clubs at some hotels are allowed to open until 2am.
It is hoped that the lift will attract longer stays from tourists. Hanoi’s authorities have discussed the issue and made several plans to implement the change. "Tourists have said that the nightlife is something Hanoi could do with so we are considering removing this ban," he said.
The midnight ban has been criticised as there are few entertainment venues for tourists. The next two months will also see the city invest in more public toilets, water fountains, and benches. The toilets will be made from environmentally-friendly materials and designed to be fit in with the surroundings.
This is part of the tourism development plan period 2016-2020 signed by City Party Committee Secretary Hoang Trung Hai on June 26. The plan is hoped to make tourism become one of Hanoi's key industry with professional services and diverse products.
Hanoi aims to have an average growth rate of 8-10% for tourism industry and receive 30 million tourists in 2020 in which 5.7 million are international tourists. It is hoped that the revenue by 2020 will reach VND120trn (USD5.5bn) and occupancy rate will top 65%.
