Vietnam Tourism: a View from Within

Abstract

Vietnam Tourism: Policies and Practices is a unique work offering an emic view of tourism in Vietnam. Thirteen chapters in the book cover a broad range of tourism development issues with reference to the historical, political, cultural and economic background of the country. The compendium of work in this volume fills an existing gap in tourism publications, where Vietnam is often considered a relatively minor destination within the broader context of tourism in Southeast Asia and where much of the literature overly links tourism to the Vietnam War (1959–1975). More importantly, the research represented in this volume consists of original empirical studies conducted by Vietnamese authors and contributors over a long period of engagement with tourism in the country as government officers, development consultants, tourism researchers, educators and industry workers. The writers are thus able to access government policy papers, industry reports, research documentation, data, and fieldworks in the native language, Vietnamese. This, in turn, ensures the inclusion of relevant and up-to-date insights on tourism policies, structures and governance, various forms of tourism, and the industry’s operational research from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The authors are also experienced with global and regional tourism trends and theories owing to their diverse backgrounds in teaching, research and consulting inside and outside of Vietnam. This work is the culmination of their knowledge and experience and their inspiration to embrace both local and global perspectives, representing the viewpoint of a new generation of researchers in the area of Vietnam tourism.