INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name: Dang Van Quay

2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: September 15, 1991

4. Place of birth: Nam Dinh

5. Decision number for student admission:Decision No. 5626/QD-XHNV dated December 29, 2023By the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process:

7. Thesis title: Assessing the attractiveness of Hanoi's Old Quarter to European tourists.

8. Major: Tourism; Code: 8810101.01

9. Scientific supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Duc Thanh and Dr. Vu Huong Lan, Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

10. Summary of the thesis results

The thesis "Assessing Factors Affecting the Attractiveness of Hanoi's Old Quarter to European Tourists" systematized the theoretical basis of destination attractiveness, based on fundamental theories in tourism research such as the destination attributes model, the tourist behavior model, and studies on the attractiveness of cultural and historical destinations. Based on this, the thesis identified five groups of factors that could influence the perceived attractiveness of European tourists: the natural environment, cultural experiences, quality of tourism services, travel costs, and tourism security. These groups of factors reflect the unique characteristics of Hanoi's Old Quarter – an ancient urban area with long-standing historical, cultural, and commercial value.

A survey of 255 European tourists visiting Hanoi's Old Quarter revealed that the majority of visitors gave positive feedback on their experience, particularly regarding the ancient urban landscape, local cultural activities and lifestyle, reasonable costs, and safety. Cronbach's Alpha reliability test results showed that all scales met reliability standards, allowing for further analysis. Through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), the initial five groups of factors were further confirmed, with 19 observed variables achieving convergent and discriminant validity, accurately reflecting the actual data structure of European tourists.

Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that out of the five initial factors, only two had a strong and statistically significant impact on the perceived attractiveness of the Old Town: Cultural Experience (β = 0.359) and Tourism Security (β = 0.236). Meanwhile, the factors Tourism Cost (β = 0.086) and Tourism Service Quality (β = 0.043) were rated positively but did not create a sufficiently large difference in perceived attractiveness. The Natural Environment factor was excluded from the model because it did not achieve statistical significance in the regression analysis. The adjusted R² value of 0.286 indicates that the model explains 28.6% of the variation in the dependent variable – a suitable level in tourism behavior research.

Furthermore, the One-Sample T-Test results show that all observed variables have a Mean > 4 and a Sig. = 0.000, indicating that European tourists generally rate Hanoi's Old Quarter as an attractive destination for cultural experiences, reasonable costs, high safety levels, and a charming ancient urban atmosphere. These results confirm the Old Quarter's appeal stems from its rich cultural and historical value and safe visiting environment, setting it apart from many other destinations in the region.

Based on these results, the thesis proposes a set of implications to enhance the attractiveness of Hanoi's Old Quarter, including: preserving and promoting cultural and historical values; strengthening security and safety; maintaining transparent and reasonable costs; improving service quality towards professionalism; and improving the urban landscape and environment in a sustainable manner. These implications contribute to strengthening the competitive advantage of the Old Quarter in the context of recovering international tourism and European tourists' tendency to seek local cultural experiences.

11. Practical applications

The research findings of this thesis have high applicability in the management, policy planning, and development of tourism products in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Firstly, the survey results and quantitative model provide reliable data that helps the Hanoi government, the Old Quarter Management Board, and tourism agencies accurately assess the attractiveness of the destination to the European market – an important target market for Hanoi's tourism.

Secondly, the proposed solutions can be directly applied to destination management activities, such as preserving ancient urban architecture, improving the quality of cultural experiences, enhancing security and safety for tourists, and improving cost transparency. These contents are consistent with current legal documents such as the Law on Cultural Heritage, the 2017 Law on Tourism, the Law on Prices, and the Regulations on Management and Preservation of Hanoi's Old Quarter.

Thirdly, the research results provide a basis for tourism service businesses such as travel agencies, tour guides, accommodation establishments, restaurants, and specialty shops to adjust their products, improve service quality, and create unique experiences to attract European tourists. At the same time, the thesis is also a useful resource for tourism training institutions in teaching and researching destination management, tourist behavior, and urban cultural tourism development.

Therefore, the research not only has academic value but also profound practical significance, contributing to the development of tourism in the Old Quarter in a professional, sustainable, and friendly manner.

12. Future research directions:

Based on the results obtained, the thesis proposes several directions for future research to refine and expand the topic of urban destination attractiveness:

(1) Expand the scope of the survey

Further studies could expand the survey sample to include more diverse groups of European tourists with varying ages and travel purposes, or conduct comparisons between European, Asian, and North American tourists to better understand the differences in perceived attractiveness.

(2) Adding more elements to the research model

Subsequent studies could integrate factors such as destination imagery, travel sentiment, satisfaction, perceived value, or intention to return to enhance the model's explanatory power.

(3) Combining qualitative methods

Conduct in-depth interviews, observe the site, or utilize online review data to gain a better understanding of tourists' motivations, emotions, and expectations regarding the Old Quarter.

(4) Comparison with similar destinations

This study compares Hanoi's Old Quarter with other famous old quarters such as Hoi An and Lijiang (China), and Chiang Mai (Thailand) to identify its competitive advantages and limitations.

(5) Using advanced analytical models

Apply SEM or PLS-SEM to further analyze the direct and indirect relationships between the elements in the model.

These research directions will contribute to enriching the theoretical basis and supporting the development of strategies for managing and developing Hanoi's Old Quarter as an attractive cultural and historical destination for international tourists.

13. The published works related to the thesis: None.

MASTER'S THESIS INFORMATION

1. Full name of the graduate student: Dang Van Quay

2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: September 15, 1991

4. Place of birth: Nam Dinh

5. Decision on student recognition: Decision No. 5626/QD-XHNV dated December 29, 2023, issued by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes during the study process:

(Record any changes and corresponding time, if applicable)

7. Thesis title: Assessing the attractiveness of Hanoi's Old Quarter to European tourists

8. Major: Tourism; Code: 8810101.01

9. Academic supervisors:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Duc Thanh and Dr. Vu Huong Lan, Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

10. Summary of thesis findings

The thesis titled “Assessing the factors influencing the attractiveness of Hanoi's Old Quarter to European tourists” systematizes the theoretical foundations related to destination attractiveness, drawing on key frameworks such as destination attribute models, tourist behavior theories, and studies on the appeal of cultural–historical destinations. Based on this foundation, the thesis identifies five groups of factors that may affect European tourists' perceptions of destination attractiveness, including: natural environment, cultural experience, quality of tourism services, travel costs, and tourism safety and security. These reflect the unique characteristics of Hanoi's Old Quarter—a historic urban area rich in cultural and commercial value.

A survey of 255 European tourists visiting the Old Quarter shows that most visitors hold positive perceptions of the destination, particularly regarding the historic urban landscape, cultural and local lifestyle experiences, reasonable travel costs, and high levels of safety. Cronbach's Alpha analysis confirms that all measurement scales achieved acceptable reliability. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) further validates the initial five-factor structure, with 19 observed variables demonstrating strong convergent and discriminant validity that accurately reflects the perceptions of European tourists.

Multiple linear regression results reveal that among the five original factors, only cultural experience (β = 0.359) and tourism safety (β = 0.236) have a significant significant and significant impact on the overall attractiveness of the Old Quarter. Meanwhile, travel costs (β = 0.086) and service quality (β = 0.043) were rated positively by visitors but did not contribute significantly to explaining destination attractiveness. The natural environment factor was removed from the model due to a lack of statistical significance. The adjusted R² value of 0.286 indicates that the model explains 28.6% of the variance in the dependent variable—a reasonable figure for studies on tourist behavior.

In addition, One-Sample T Test results show that all observed variables have Mean > 4 and Sig. = 0.000, proving that European tourists generally perceive the Old Quarter as an attractive destination in terms of cultural experience, reasonable costs, high safety, and a pleasant historic urban atmosphere. These findings highlight that the predominant sources of attractiveness stem from cultural–historical values ​​and a safe tourism environment, distinguishing the Old Quarter from many other destinations in the region.

Based on these results, the thesis proposes managing implications to enhance the attractiveness of Hanoi's Old Quarter, including cultural heritage preservation, strengthening tourist safety, maintaining transparent and reasonable pricing, improving service quality, and upgrading the urban environment toward sustainability. These recommendations help strengthen the Old Quarter's competitive advantage, especially as international tourism recovers and European tourists increasingly seek authentic cultural experiences.

11. Practical applicability

The findings of this thesis have high practical relevance for destination management, policy planning, and tourism product development in the Old Quarter. First, the survey data and quantitative analyzes provide reliable scientific evidence for the Hanoi government, the Old Quarter Management Board, and tourism authorities to accurately assess the destination's attractiveness to European tourists—a key target market for the city.

Second, the proposed strategies can be applied directly to destination management practices, such as preserving historic urban architecture, enhancing cultural experience offerings, strengthening tourist safety measures, and improving price transparency. These recommendations align with existing legal frameworks such as the Law on Cultural Heritage, the Tourism Law (2017), the Law on Prices, and Hanoi's Regulations on Old Quarter Preservation and Management.

Third, the research offers valuable insights for tourism businesses—including travel agencies, tour guides, accommodation providers, restaurants, and specialty shops—to improve their service quality and design culturally appealing experiences for European visitors. The thesis also serves as a useful reference for tourism education institutions in training and research related to destination management, tourist behavior, and cultural tourism development.

Thus, the thesis contributes not only academically but also practically, supporting the development of the Old Quarter's tourism industry in a professional, sustainable, and visitor-friendly direction.

12. Directions for future research

Based on the findings, several future research directions are suggested to further expand and refine the topic of destination attractiveness in urban tourism:

(1) Expanding the survey scope:

Future studies may include a wider range of European tourist segments with diverse ages and travel purposes, or conduct cross-cultural comparisons with tourists from Asia or North America to gain deeper insights into differences in attractiveness perceptions.

(2) Adding more variables to the research model:

Subsequent research can incorporate factors such as destination image, tourist emotions, satisfaction, perceived value, or revisit intention to enhance the model's explanatory power.

(3) Integrating qualitative methods:

In-depth interviews, field observation, or analysis of online reviews could be used to explore tourists' motivations, emotions, and expectations in greater detail.

(4) Comparative analysis with similar destinations:

Comparisons between Hanoi's Old Quarter and other historic districts such as Hoi An (Vietnam), Lijiang (China), or Chiang Mai (Thailand) may help identify unique strengths and competitive advantages.

(5) Applying advanced analytical models:

Techniques such as Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) or Partial Least Squares–SEM (PLS-SEM) can be used to analyze direct and indirect relationships among variables more comprehensively.

These research directions will enrich the theoretical foundation and support strategic development for Hanoi's Old Quarter as an attractive cultural–historical destination for international tourists.

13. Thesis-related publications: None