Vietnam’s My Son Sanctuary faces mandatory ticket price equalization for local and foreign visitors

Authorities at My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site in central Vietnam, are likely to equalize entrance ticket prices for Vietnamese and foreign visitors, following a directive from the national audit office, officials said on Friday.

The change would end the long-standing two-tier pricing system that currently charges domestic tourists VND100,000 (US$3.8) and foreign visitors VND150,000 ($5.7).

The unified rate has yet to be finalized.

“The audit requires us to apply a single ticket price for all visitors, regardless of nationality,” said Nguyen Cong Khiet, director of the My Son heritage site management board, at a tourism development forum on Friday.

Ticket prices at the site, which features ancient Hindu temple ruins dating back to the Champa Kingdom from the 4th to the 13th centuries CE, have remained unchanged for a decade.

Khiet noted that inflation, rising maintenance costs, and pressure to improve visitor services make a price adjustment unavoidable.

Currently, the ticket includes a VND40,000 ($1.5) entrance fee for all visitors, plus a service fee of VND60,000 ($2.3) for Vietnamese and VND110,000 ($4.2) for foreigners.

That structure will be overhauled under the audit directive.

“The adjustment is mandatory,” Khiet said.

“But we are still considering the timeline, method, and final pricing levels in consultation with relevant authorities.”

The sanctuary, located roughly 70 km southwest of Da Nang City, receives an average of 1,500 visitors per day, or 450,000 annually — with yearly growth of over 10 percent, according to site officials.

Since early 2025, My Son has generated over VND57 billion ($2.16 million) in revenue, but officials say current prices do not fully reflect the site’s cultural value or provide sufficient funding for conservation, restoration, and marketing.

“Despite its UNESCO status since 1999, My Son still lacks night-time tourism products and faces funding shortfalls for promotional activities,” said Van Thi Cam Tu, deputy director of the site’s management board.

Officials say they have improved infrastructure, added electric shuttle vehicles, expanded Cham cultural performances, and introduced pilot folk music shows to increase visitor engagement.

Average visit times have doubled from one hour to over two in recent years.

However, tourism businesses at the forum said My Son still lacks attractions to encourage longer stays and higher spending, and welcomed the planned pricing reform as a step toward improved services.

By Bao Anh & Thai Ba Dung – Tuoi Tre News – September 27, 2025