TTLV: Developing craft village tourism in Ben Tre

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name: Vo Thi Ngoc Giau 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: February 25, 1986

4. Place of birth: Tien Giang

5. Decision on student admission No.: 2123/2011/QD-XHNV-SDH. Dated: November 1, 2011, by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process: Extending the training period from 2 years to 3 years.

7. Thesis title:"Developing craft village tourism in Ben Tre"

8. Major: Tourism Code: (Pilot Training Program)

9. Scientific supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Van Anh

10. Summary of the thesis results:

The thesis systematized the theoretical foundations of tourism, craft villages, and craft village tourism, highlighting the importance of craft village tourism and the conditions for becoming a tourism craft village. The author briefly outlined the situation of craft village tourism in Vietnam and referenced the experiences of developing craft village tourism in several countries such as Japan, Thailand, and India.

Ben Tre's natural and socio-economic conditions have created favorable conditions for tourism development. Ben Tre boasts a rich and diverse array of traditional craft villages, particularly those with tourism potential such as Son Doc rice crackers and Son Chau ornamental flower villages. The province has significant potential for developing craft village tourism. However, the current state of craft village tourism development in the province still faces several challenges: while craft village tourism products are affordably priced, their quality and design are not highly regarded; infrastructure, despite upgrades and expansions, still falls short of meeting tourist transportation needs; the environment is generally not severely impacted, but some craft villages are negatively affecting it; the workforce is sufficient to meet production needs, but there is a shortage of experienced and highly skilled artisans; despite numerous development policies, many production households lack investment capital; and promotional and marketing efforts have not been widely disseminated. The number of tourists visiting the craft village is still low.

To develop craft village tourism in Ben Tre, the author has proposed several solutions, including: solutions regarding infrastructure and technical facilities; environmental solutions; solutions regarding human resource training and product quality improvement; policy solutions; solutions regarding the market and promotion of craft villages in conjunction with tourism; solutions regarding tourism planning, linkages, and the development of tourism routes and destinations associated with craft villages; and solutions regarding the exploitation of craft village services and diversification of craft village tourism services. In addition, the author also offers some recommendations to relevant departments and agencies.

11. Practical applications:

This thesis studies the potential and current state of handicraft village tourism development in Ben Tre, and proposes solutions to contribute to the effective development of this type of tourism in the area.

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Vo Thi Ngoc Giau 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: February 25, 1986 4. Place of birth: Tien Giang

5. Admission decision number: 2123/2011/QD-XHNV-SDH. Dated: November 1, 2011 of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University of Hanoi

6. Changes in academic process: Extend the training period from 2 years to 3 years course

7. Official thesis title:"Development of village tourism in Ben Tre”

8. Major: Tourism; 9. Code: (Experiment training program)

10. Supervisors: Professor Tran Van Anh

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

This thesis has codified the basis of tourism; village and village tourism raised the importance of village tourism and conditions to become a tourist village. The author briefly outlines the situation of village tourism in Vietnam and referred to the experience to develop village tourism in some countries such as Japan, Thailand, and India.

The natural, economic and social conditions in Ben Tre have facilitated the development of tourism in Ben Tre. Ben Tre where there are a number of rich and diverse villages with many traditional villages, especially the villages are likely to develop tourism such as Son Doc Glutinous Rice Chupatty village, Son Chau flower village, ... The province has an abundance of potential to develop village tourism. However, the real situation to develop village tourism of the province still has many problems to concern such as products of village tourism have reasonable price but the quality and designs are not appreciated; Although the infrastructure has been upgraded and expanded, it did not meet the transportation needs of tourists; environment generally has not been seriously affected but some villages are bad impacts on the environment; human resources meet basically the needs of production, but there are still lack of experienced artisans with high qualification; Although there are many developmental policies, many producers are still lacking of invested capital; the advertising has not been disseminated; there are fewer tourists to the village.

To develop village tourism in Ben Tre, the authors have proposed a number of solutions including to infrastructure and technical facilities; environmental solutions; solutions to train human resources, improve product quality; policy solutions; solutions to market, advertise tourism village; solutions to travel planning, link and build routes, destinations associated with the village; solutions to exploit village services, diversify tourism village. Besides, the author also provides some recommendations to the departments and units concerned.

12. Practical applicability, if any:

This thesis researches in potential and the situation developing village tourism in Ben Tre, which offers solutions to help development of village tourism effectively.