Vietnam : VN must learn from Thailand
to avoid perils of mass tourism !
by Julio Benedetti
Have you ever seen the film The Beach? And, if you have, have you ever visited Phi Phi Island in Thailand where the film was shot?
Western tourists – like Leonardo DiCapro's character Richard in the film – seem to have an obsession with finding the most perfectly unspoiled, untouched, off-the-beaten track destinations in which to spend their long-awaited holidays. However, once these magical, new destinations are discovered, word gets out, tourists arrive in droves, and the charm of destination is spoiled for many.
A tourist influx of this type inevitably leads to the creation of a new tourism infrastructure and the growth of new businesses catering to the tourism industry. In time, the destination becomes so popular that everyone looking to take a holiday wants to visit.
Once this happens, many adventurous tourists think twice about returning again the destinations' appeal has been destroyed by mass tourism. No longer is it the same unspoiled place it had once been because its exclusivity and exoticism has been spoiled. The adventurous tourists will move on in search of other captivating destinations to visit. As soon as their next "find" becomes the latest and greatest in tourist destinations, mass tourism is sure to follow.
Alex Garland, the author of the book on which the film The Beach was based, makes a negative, but hard-hitting analogy between tourism and cancer, in the sense that both can share the same cyclical nature of contamination and self-destruction. It is those same tourists who, in search of a paradise on earth, discover untouched places and inadvertently bring about the mass tourism that destroys the appeal that drew them there in the first place.
If you answered yes to my question about visiting Phi Phi Island, then you are likely to agree that life has, ironically, imitated art – in this case the film – on the this Thai island.
Today, day-trippers arrive on the island looking to experience for themselves the tranquility the island is famous for. Unfortunately, throngs of other tourists are also looking to share the same experience. When I visited, many tourists complained to me that their experience was the complete opposite of what they expected and that the feeling of island was not the same as they had heard.
This is the same narrative of self-destruction that The Beach intends us to reflect on. The film arguably inspired Westerners to claim Phi Phi Island a pseudo-paradise, and Phi Phi Island paid a price for the resulting tourist influx. But what does any of this have to do with tourism and Viet Nam?
How long will it last?
Lately, out of curiosity, I have been asking tourists their reasons for wanting to visit Viet Nam. With only slight variations, I often receive the same answers: It's not too touristy, it's cheaper than other places in Asia, it's still unspoiled and quite off-the-beaten track. Indeed, many people will agree that these days, returning home from a visit to Viet Nam sounds much cooler than returning home from a trip to Thailand.
But wasn't Thailand also once cheaper, undiscovered and exotic to many people? Does this mean that Viet Nam will soon follow Thailand by pushing tourism to the point of over-development? Will Viet Nam, like Thailand, begin its own self-destructive cycle like the one Garland spoke of?
It is extremely important that action is taken now, before we hear from tourists years later that Viet Nam has lost some of its appeal. The country should look to Thailand as a model and learn from both the many good aspects of its tourism industry and its many mistakes.
I can't help but remember the tourism slogan adopted by Viet Nam on my first visit two year ago: "The Hidden Charm". It's the perfect bait for attracting western tourists, and it's perfectly true. Viet Nam is incredibly charming and it has all that is needed to make it a successful tourist destination, if properly managed: natural wonders, a rich history and culture, and a diverse and appealing cuisine.
Viet Nam's latest tourism slogan goes like this: "Viet Nam, Timeless Charm". I hope and trust that tourism businesses and authorities in Viet Nam can fulfill this great promise.
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