TTLV: Developing ethnic cultural tourism in Si Ma Cai district, Lao Cai province.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name: Pham Thi Kim Anh

2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: April 7, 2001

4. Place of birth: Lao Cai

5. Decision No. 5410/QD-XHNV dated December 21, 2023, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, recognizing the student.

6. Changes in the training process:

7. Thesis title: Developing ethnic cultural tourism in Si Ma Cai district, Lao Cai province

8. Major: Tourism; Code: 8810101.01

9. Scientific supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Thi Phuong Anh, Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

10. Summary of the thesis results:

This thesis systematizes the theoretical basis of ethnic cultural tourism and analyzes the practical development in Si Ma Cai district, Lao Cai province. Survey, interview, and field research results show that Si Ma Cai possesses unique cultural resources of the Mong community, with prominent elements such as traditional markets, festivals, cuisine, traditional rammed-earth architecture, and traditional crafts. This is an important foundation for developing distinctive cultural tourism products. However, the study also points out several limitations: the quality of tourism services is still rudimentary, infrastructure is not yet synchronized, the connection between tourism experiences and the consumption of local products is weak, tourism activities are seasonal, and there is no sustainable management strategy. Although the local community shows a friendly attitude and willingness to participate, professional capacity in organizing and serving tourism is limited, leading to a gap between potential and actual exploitation efficiency.

Based on SWOT analysis, this thesis proposes a system of solutions for developing ethnic cultural tourism in a sustainable direction, including: preserving and promoting cultural values; diversifying products and services; developing infrastructure and facilities; enhancing community capacity; promoting and linking destinations; improving policy mechanisms; and ensuring the principle of sustainable development associated with environmental protection and community interests.

The research results contribute to providing scientific and practical arguments for policy planning and product development, while supporting the orientation of ethnic cultural tourism development in Si Ma Cai district towards both effective exploitation and long-term preservation of distinctive cultural identity.

 11. Practical applications:

The research findings of this thesis can be directly applied to the planning and implementation of ethnic minority cultural tourism development in Si Ma Cai district. Firstly, the survey data and analysis of the current situation provide a scientific basis for local authorities and the tourism industry to assess potential, identify limitations, and determine appropriate directions. Secondly, the proposed solutions can be applied in practical management, such as preserving cultural heritage, developing unique tourism products, enhancing community capacity, and building sustainable policy mechanisms. Furthermore, the thesis serves as a reference for travel businesses in tour design, for local communities in service organization, and for training institutions in developing curricula on cultural tourism and community tourism. Therefore, the research not only has academic value but also high practical relevance, contributing to the effective and sustainable development of ethnic minority cultural tourism in Si Ma Cai.

12. Future research directions:

From the research results on the development of ethnic cultural tourism in Si Ma Cai district, it can be seen that the topic has initially contributed a practical basis and application solutions. However, to further deepen and expand the research, future research directions need to go beyond the local scope, while also adding new contributions in theory and methodology. Three main directions are typical examples.

Firstly, the research should be expanded to include cross-regional comparisons to identify general patterns and specific differences. Further surveys of localities with similar contexts will help build a more comprehensive picture of ethnic cultural tourism development. Based on this, the research can identify universal factors while recognizing the unique characteristics of each region, providing an important basis for policy planning at the regional and national levels.

Secondly, it is necessary to develop and validate a new theoretical framework to serve the research and management of cultural tourism. In the context of increasing attention to community-based tourism, it is essential to develop applicable concepts and models such as "ethnic cultural experience value chains" or "community cultural readiness index." These concepts not only supplement the theoretical framework of cultural tourism but can also serve as assessment and measurement tools, directly supporting state management and travel businesses in strategic planning.

Thirdly, focus research on policy mechanisms and governance models for community-based tourism. From this, propose a more appropriate policy framework and governance mechanism. This will be a practical contribution, possessing both theoretical value and high applicability, helping to ensure sustainability in the exploitation of ethnic cultural resources.

13. The published works related to the thesis:

Pham, TKA (2024). Potential for developing ethnic cultural tourism in Si Ma Cai district, Lao Cai province. In the Institute for Economic and Tourism Development Research (Eds.),Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference: Sustainable Tourism Development – ​​Identity, Resources, International Experiences and Interpretations for Vietnam(Volume 1, pp. 106–123). Labor Publishing House. ISBN: 978-604-4992-71-6.

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Pham Thi Kim Anh

2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: 07/04/2001

4. Place of birth: Lao Cai

5. Admission decision number: 5410/QD-XHNV dated December 21, 2023, 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: Developing Ethnic Tourism in Si Ma Cai District, Lao Cai Province

8. Major: Tourism

9. Code: 8810101.01

10. Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Thi Phuong Anh - Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

The thesis has systematized the theoretical foundations of ethnic tourism and analyzed the practical situation of its development in Si Ma Cai District, Lao Cai Province. The results of surveys, interviews, and fieldwork reveal that Si Ma Cai possesses distinctive cultural resources of the Hmong community, with outstanding elements such as traditional markets, festivals, cuisine, earthen wall house architecture, and traditional handicrafts. These serve as an important foundation for developing unique ethnic tourism products.

However, the study also highlights several limitations: tourism services remain underdeveloped, infrastructure is not yet synchronized, the linkage between tourism experiences and local product consumption is weak, tourism activities are seasonal, and there is a lack of sustainable management strategies. Although actually the local community shows friendliness and willingness to participate, their professional capacity in organizing and providing tourism services is still limited, leading to a gap between potential and effectiveness.

Based on SWOT analysis, the thesis proposes a system of solutions for sustainable ethnic tourism development, including: preserving and promoting cultural values; diversifying tourism products and services; developing infrastructure and facilities; enhancing community capacity; strengthening promotion and destination links; improving mechanisms and policies; and ensure the principles of sustainability associated with environmental protection and community benefits.

The research results contribute both scientific and practical arguments for policy-making and product development, while also providing orientations for ethnic tourism development in Si Ma Cai District in a way that both exploits resources effectively and ensures the long-term preservation of distinctive cultural identities.

12. Practical applicability, if any:

The research results of the thesis can be directly applied to the planning and implementation of ethnic tourism development in Si Ma Cai District. Firstly, the system of survey data and practical analysis provides a scientific basis for local authorities and the tourism sector in assessing potential, identifying limitations, and determining appropriate development directions. Secondly, the proposed solutions can be applied in practical management, such as cultural heritage preservation, the development of distinctive tourism products, the enhancement of community capacity, and the establishment of sustainable policy mechanisms.

In addition, the thesis also serves as a useful reference for tour operators in designing itineraries, for local communities in organizing tourism services, and for educational institutions in developing curricula on cultural tourism and community-based tourism. Therefore, the study not only holds academic value but also demonstrates high practical applicability, contributing to the effective and sustainable development of ethnic tourism in Si Ma Cai.

13. Further research directions, if any:

From the research results on the development of ethnic tourism in Si Ma Cai District, it can be seen that the study has initially contributed practical foundations and applicable solutions. However, to further deepen and broaden the topic, future research should move beyond the local scope and provide new contributions in terms of theory and methodology. Three key directions can be highlighted.

Firstly, expanding research through inter-regional comparisons to identify common patterns and distinctive differences. By examining additional localities with similar contexts, a more comprehensive picture of ethnic tourism development can be constructed. On this basis, research may reveal universal elements while recognizing region-specific characteristics, thereby offering an important foundation for policy-making at both regional and national levels.

Secondly, developing and testing new theoretical frameworks for the study and management of ethnic tourism. In the context of increasing attention to community-based tourism, it is necessary to introduce applicable concepts and models such as the “ethnic cultural experience value chain” or the “community cultural readiness index.” These concepts not only enrich the theoretical system of ethnic tourism but can also serve as assessment and measurement tools, directly supporting state management as well as tour operators in strategic planning.

Thirdly, focusing on the study of policy mechanisms and models of community-based tourism governance. This would allow for the proposal of more appropriate policy frameworks and governance mechanisms. Such contributions would be both theoretically significant and highly applicable, helping to ensure sustainability in the exploitation of ethnic cultural resources.

14. Thesis-related publications:

Pham, TKA (2024). Potential for developing ethnic tourism in Si Ma Cai District, Lao Cai Province. In Institute for Economic and Tourism Development (Ed.),Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference: Sustainable Tourism Development – ​​Identity, Resources, International Experiences and Recommendations for Vietnam(Vol. 1, pp. 106–123). Labor Publishing House. ISBN: 978-604-4992-71-6.