“The Link Between Mobility and Tourism: Creating Social Sustainability”

The conference was attended by more than 30 scholars from many different countries such as: UK, Germany, Italy, USA, Japan, Canada, Belgium, Korea, Macao, Taiwan, Philippines, Brazil, etc. In particular, the conference was attended by the world's leading speakers in the field of tourism academia such as: Prof. Sabine Marschall (University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa), Prof. Michael Hitchcock (University of London, UK), Prof. Noel B. Salazar (University of Leuven, Belgium), Prof. Alan Lew (Northern Arizona University, USA). On the Vietnamese side, the conference was attended by representatives of tourism management agencies, tourism development research institutes, and tourism training schools in Vietnam.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa (Vice Principal) delivered a welcoming speech to domestic and international guests.

The conference featured four keynote presentations by four leading scholars.

Prof. Sabine Marschall with her paper "Is it tourism? Social sustainability and the blurred lines between mobility tourism and migration". The article clarifies the difference between mobility, tourism and migration, with special reference to the cases of refugees or forced migrants. Recognizing the study of these forms of illegal tourism will open up new perspectives for policy makers, aiming to enhance social sustainability. The article also focuses on this issue in developing countries, where free travel is not as easy as in developed countries. Individuals are shaped by different socio-economic and political circumstances, so these subjects cannot be explained by traditional concepts but must pay attention to the trend of mobility in practice and in the specific local context.

Prof. Noel B. Salazar presented on "Migration and mobility tourism: it's time to bring sustainability into the debate". The author raises the issue of the relationship between migration and tourism, in which tourism often focuses on the movement of tourists, while migration focuses on the movement of migrant workers. Focusing on the movement of migrant workers in relation to tourism, in the context of globalization and social inequality... needs to be taken into account to create social sustainability.

Prof. Alan Lew gave a presentation on the topic "Migration and social sustainability: tourism and its enduring appeal". The article clarifies the benefits and impacts of dispersed migrant communities on tourism development and, more broadly, on social sustainability. Because of their historical and biological ties to their homeland, migrants always want to return to their homeland, promoting tourism development through remittances, image promotion... These activities help develop social capital, increase social sustainability and connect tourism in foreign communities.

Prof. Michael Hitchcock presented on "A Tale of Two Cities and Tourism Sustainability in Hong Kong and Macau". The article points out the common characteristics of tourism in the two cities: both were colonies and returned to China in the 1990s, have a large number of tourists and have a diverse ethnic structure. However, the difference is that in Macao, the local people are generally more enthusiastic in welcoming tourists. In contrast, the reaction to tourists in Hong Kong has been so criticized that people have to question the social sustainability of tourism here? This comparison gives researchers suggestions when considering the issue of social sustainability in tourism activities in each locality.

The workshop is divided into main sessions:

• On the issue of conflict or interaction between tourists, locals and immigrantsThere were papers on “Tourism, casino business and regulations on movement in Macau”, “Migration and Tourism: do we need a broad approach?”, “Alienated locals in Didyma: the role of migration in relation to tourism”, “Importance of immigration on Canadian tourism”, “Cultural integration in international hotels in Vietnam”.
• On the subject of tourism mobility and cross-border movementThere were presentations on “Medical tourism and cross-sectoral racialization along the US-Mexico border”, “Visitor visas and tourist mobility to the global north: the story of four Asian countries”, “ASEAN tourism integration: policy recommendations for sustainable development”, “Tourism development potential along the southern economic corridor between Vietnam – Cambodia – Thailand”, “Mobility in the Asia-Pacific region: the intersection of tourism and migration”.
• On the topic of sustainable community development/long-term appeal of tourist destinations, the main papers include: “The lasting appeal of tourist destinations, the case of Havana”, “The role of mountain tourism development in community empowerment, sustainability and poverty reduction in rural China”, “A case study of experiential activities in agriculture and food education”, “The relationship between tourism and marathon running in Vietnam”, “From folk processions to cultural tourism festivals”.
• On the topic of Tourism, cultures and scattered identitieswith papers: “Conceptions of tourism mobility from the perspective of local communities from the Cook Islands (South Pacific)”, “The Scots: scattered groups, authenticity and imagined homeland”, “The settlement growth of the Portuguese community in Johannesburg (South Africa)”, “Participation of ethnic minority women and children's tourism activities in Sapa”, “LGBT tourism activities in Vietnam: an empirical analysis”, “Changes in the lifestyle of people in tourist destinations”.
• On the theme of heritage and religion in migration and tourist mobility, the papers include: “Vietnamese immigrants in the United States and their impact on the image of Vietnam”, “The role of religion in migration and tourism mobility”, “Principles and revelations of hidden heritage”, “Demographic transformation in world heritage sites, the case of Hoi An central area in 1999-2010”, “Migration from rural to urban areas to secondary cities and the role of community-oriented tourism for local livelihoods, a case study in Hoa Binh lake area”.

The conference also launched the book “Tourism and Memories of Home: Migrants, Displaced People, Exiles and Diasporic Communities” (2017) by Prof. Sabine Marschall (University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa); the book “Momentous Mobilities: Anthropological Musings on the Meanings of Travel” (2018) by Prof. Noel Salazar (University of Leuven, Belgium).