TTLV: Research on cultural resources for community tourism development in Be village, Ta Xua commune, Son La province.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name:NGUYEN THI PHUONG HOA

2. Gender:Female

3. Date of birth: 04/06/1983

4. Place of birth:Phu Tho

5. Decision number for student admission:Decision No. 7353/QD-XHNV, dated December 31, 2024, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process:Are not

7. Thesis title:Research on cultural resources for community tourism development in Be village, Ta Xua commune, Son La province.

8. Major:Tourism; Code: 8810101

9. Scientific supervisor:Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Long (Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi); Dr. Pham Huong Trang (RMIT University Vietnam)

10. Summary of the thesis results:

The thesis "Research on Cultural Resources for Community Tourism Development in Ban Be Village, Ta Xua Commune, Son La Province" constructs an integrated analytical framework using four classification systems of cultural resources (UNESCO, Richards, Vietnam Tourism Law, Nguyen Pham Hung) with three foundational theories (social exchange, sustainable resource management, participation, and empowerment). The results show that Ban Be possesses a unique and irreplaceable system of cultural resources, most notably the cluster of over 200 ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees recognized as Vietnamese Heritage Trees in 2019, along with traditional tea processing knowledge, architecture, costumes, and traditional festivals of the Mong people.

The study points to the rudimentary level of exploitation and the paradox of "rich in resources, poor in empowerment": the indigenous Hmong people mainly participate in tourism in a labor-intensive role, while the decision-making power and main benefits belong to outside investors. Based on this, the thesis proposes three sets of implications for developing tea tourism products, empowering and enhancing community capacity, and multilateral governance to position Ban Be as a sustainable tea-cultural tourism destination.

11. Practical applications:

The implications of this thesis serve as a direct reference for local authorities and stakeholders in the process of approving and implementing community tourism plans in Ban Be, particularly regarding the protection of resource control rights and equitable benefit sharing for the Mong community against the risk of external investment seizing the heritage tea land. The proposed "tea culture tourism" orientation also helps Ban Be establish its own unique brand, differentiating it from other mainstream tourist destinations in Ta Xua.

12. Future research directions:

The proposed directions for further research on this topic are as follows: Firstly, a comparative study of Bản Bẹ with other ethnic minority community tourism destinations such as Hà Giang, Sapa, and Mộc Châu. Secondly, a longitudinal study following the approval and implementation of the community tourism plan. Thirdly, in-depth research on the Shan Tuyết tea value chain. Fourthly, research on the role and voice of Hmong women. Fifthly, research on the awareness and willingness to pay of tourists for cultural tea tourism products.

13.Published works related to the thesis: Do not have

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name:NGUYEN THI PHUONG HOA

2. Sex:Female

3. Date of birth:04/06/1983

4. Place of birth:Phu Tho

5. Admission decision number:7353/QD-XHNV, dated December 31, 2024, issued by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in academic process:None

7. Official thesis title:A Study on Cultural Resources for Community-Based Tourism Development in Ban Be Village, Ta Xua Commune, Son La Province.

8. Major:Tourism, Code: 8810101

9. Supervisors:Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Long (Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi); Dr. Pham Huong Trang (RMIT University Vietnam).

10. Summary of the thesis's findings:

The thesis “A Study on Cultural Resources for Community-Based Tourism Development in Ban Be Village, Ta Xua Commune, Son La Province” builds an integrated framework combining four cultural-resource classification systems (UNESCO, Richards, the Vietnam Law on Tourism, and Nguyen Pham Hung) with three core theories (social exchange theory, the resource-based view, and participation and empowerment theory). The findings show that Ban Be possesses a unique and irreplaceable system of cultural resources, most notably a cluster of over 200 ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees recognized as Vietnam Heritage Trees in 2019, together with hand-roasted tea-making knowledge, traditional architecture, costumes, and festivals of the Hmong community.

The study finds that actual tourism exploitation remains rudimentary and identifies a “resource-rich, empowering-poor” paradox, in which local Hmong people mostly work as hired labor while decision-making power and benefits go to outside investors. Based on these findings, the thesis proposes three groups of implications on tourism product development, community empowerment, and multi-stakeholder governance, aimed at positioning Ban Be as a sustainable tea-culture tourism destination.

11. Practical applicability:

The implications of this thesis serve as a direct reference for local authorities and stakeholders in approving and implementing the community tourism plan for Ban Be, particularly regarding the protection of resource control rights and equitable benefit-sharing for the Hmong community amid the risk of outside investors acquiring heritage tea land. The proposed “tea culture tourism” positioning also helps Ban Be build its own brand identity, distinct from other mass-tourism destinations in Ta Xua.

12. Directions for further research:

Further research is proposed along the following directions: first, comparative studies between Ban Be and other ethnic-minority community tourism destinations such as Ha Giang, Sapa, and Moc Chau. Second, a longitudinal study following the approval and implementation of the community tourism plan. Third, an in-depth study of the Shan Tuyet tea value chain. Fourth, research on the voice and role of Hmong women. Fifth, research on visitor perceptions and willingness to pay for tea-culture tourism products.

13.Thesis-related publications:None