The workshop is an opportunity for all parties to discuss and propose specific and practical solutions to effectively promote the national cultural treasure, creating a sustainable foundation for the in-depth development of Vietnam's tourism industry.
Special tourism products cannot lack the soul of national culture.
Dr. Tran Ai Cam, Principal of Nguyen Tat Thanh University, said that in the context of the tourism industry gradually shifting from mass development to high-quality development, the requirement is to make each destination not only a place to "visit" but also a place where visitors can "experience" unique and special cultural values.
Vietnam possesses abundant cultural resources with 54 ethnic groups, thousands of festivals, craft villages, architectural heritage, literature, cuisine... However, transforming those values into attractive tourism products, bringing economic value and creating a unique identity is still a challenge.
According to Dr. Tran Ai Cam, the development of specific tourism products has always received special attention from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. At the same time, the Ministry has advised and proposed to the Prime Minister to issue a Strategy and plan for the tourism system, and has issued a Strategy for developing Vietnam's tourism products.
In which cultural factors are always determined as the foundation for product development, thereby creating a unique identity and position for Vietnamese tourism.
Associate Professor Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Department of Science, Technology, Training and Environment (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) emphasized: "No tourism product can be truly unique if it is not rooted in indigenous culture."
Customs, practices, beliefs, festivals, cultural heritage, craft villages, architectural values, culinary culture, folk art, music, folk literature... are cultural undercurrents that help tourism products become unique, attractive and profound.
In the recent period, the orientation of product development in promoting and preserving cultural values has been implemented by the entire industry. Many unique tourism products have been researched and developed, gradually affirming the brand value for regional destinations and Vietnamese tourism in general, contributing significantly to promoting unique cultural values to domestic and foreign tourists.
“However, the challenge now is: how to exploit cultural values without losing identity and value? How to create unique tourism products that are both attractive to the market and linked to heritage conservation?
This is a difficult problem but we must find a solution if we want to develop tourism in a truly sustainable and in-depth way,” said Associate Professor, Dr. Le Anh Tuan.
Linking heritage, tradition and cultural industry
At the workshop, many delegates pointed out bottlenecks in developing specific tourism products.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Pham Trung Luong - Faculty of Tourism, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Vice President of Vietnam Tourism Education Association (VITEA), one of the current challenges is the inadequate awareness of the role and nature of specific tourism products; the role of state management from central to local levels has not been effective, and policies are not strong enough to create leverage for businesses to invest in product development.
From there, he proposed the need to issue a project to develop specific national tourism products, clearly defining the roadmap, policy mechanisms, and roles of relevant parties, while encouraging private enterprises and the community to participate. The application of science and technology and innovation also needs to be promoted to increase the added value of products.
In the Mekong Delta region, Associate Professor Dr. Huynh Quoc Thang, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, said that tourism in provinces such as Tien Giang (formerly) and Dong Thap is still developing positively, but is not yet stable and has much potential to continue to exploit and promote. The products in this region still lack depth of experience.
Associate Professor Dr. Huynh Quoc Thang proposed developing the strategy of “Heritage tourism – associated with cultural industry” in this region, based on exploiting the existing heritage system (such as Rach Gam-Xoai Mut, Vinh Trang pagoda, amateur music, craft villages, cuisine, etc.), combined with digital technology to design new products.
“In addition, it is necessary to move towards large-scale festivals based on connecting and awakening local historical and cultural capital, combining with honoring contemporary socio-economic achievements, creating a cultural “face” of Tien Giang - Dong Thap at the national and international level…”, Associate Professor, Dr. Huynh Quoc Thang proposed.
The group of authors Dr. Le Thi Thanh Thuy, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, MSc. PhD. Duong Van Cham, Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture, brought a specific perspective on the model of ecotourism development associated with cultural preservation in the Lieng Nung space (Dak Nong, now Lam Dong).
With the natural advantages of forests, waterfalls, mountains and unique traditional culture of the Ma people, Lieng Nung has all the conditions to develop a community ecotourism model.
Here, it is possible to build products such as gong tours, spiritual festivals, ecological trekking, volcanic cave exploration... combined with training local people to become tour guides and artisans serving tourism.
According to the group of authors, it is necessary to soon plan Lieng Nung into a key regional tourist destination, with a communication strategy, training, and appropriate infrastructure investment to exploit effectively while still ensuring ecological and cultural conservation factors.
Human resources remain one of the key factors determining the success of specific tourism products. Many opinions at the workshop mentioned the shortage of skilled and culturally knowledgeable workers, especially at the local level.
To overcome this, it is necessary to develop an in-depth training program on cultural tourism product design, creative communication, heritage tourism management, etc., and at the same time organize training courses for local communities on communication skills, explanation, storytelling, and personal branding.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duc Thang, General Secretary of the Vietnam Tourism Training Association, Head of the Tourism Department of the East Asia University of Technology, emphasized the potential for building celebrity and scholar tourism products in provinces with a tradition of studiousness such as Hung Yen.
According to him, “stories associated with the relics of the imperial examination villages, famous people… if told vividly and in depth, will become tourist attractions”. From models such as “Night tour of the Temple of Literature”, “Returning to the East, discovering the journey of Vietnamese imperial examinations”,… he recommends building products in the direction of storytelling, combining education, experience, and indigenous culture.
According to experts, culture is not only a resource, but also the core of Vietnam's tourism identity. However, exploitation needs to be carried out responsibly, based on serious research, with coordination between the state, schools, businesses and the community.
Associate Professor Dr. Le Anh Tuan said that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been implementing the Strategy for developing Vietnam tourism products, in which cultural factors are the foundation throughout. However, he also raised the question: "How can tourism products both attract the market and preserve the cultural soul?"
This is a problem that requires the participation of many sectors and many groups, from planning, training, communication to technology application and brand building.
“In the context of increasingly fierce global competition for tourist destinations, tourism products with unique cultural imprints are the factors that create differences, enhance the competitiveness and position of Vietnam on the international tourism map.
At the same time, it is also an effective tool to spread the image of the country and Vietnamese people as friendly, rich in identity and always innovative," Associate Professor, Dr. Le Anh Tuan emphasized.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/goc-re-san-pham-du-lich-dac-thu-157698.html
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