“Ethnic” has become a popular tourist icon consumed and promoted locally and afar (Gladney,1999)(1). Together with culture tourism, in recent years, ethnic tourism has been increasingly developed. Ethnic tourism is employed by many countries to facilitate economic and cultural development and to assist in heritage preservation (Li Yang, Geoffrey Wall, 2009)(1). Vietnam is striving to develop this type of tourism. This country has 54 people groups, in which 53 minority groups comprise 14% population with diversified and exotic cultures. This article aims to indicate the consequences of rapid development in a typical ethnic tourism destination at Vietnam, Sapa.
Ethnic tourism is not a new concept, since the first use of the term ‘‘ethnic tourism’’ was attributed to Smith in 1977. He defined ‘‘ethnic tourism’’ as tourism ‘‘marketed to the public in terms of the ‘quaint’ customs of indigenous and often exotic peoples’’ (1). It includes the consumption of artifacts, handicrafts, performances, and other products or services. It is the strangeness of ethnic tourism that excites human curiosity, and then brings about the needs to study and discover. Celebrations of ethnic diversity nowadays constitute an important aspect of global culture as well as of tourism (Kahn, 1997). “With the broad integration of ethnicity into tourism worldwide, the representation, consumption, and experience of ethnicity have become fashionable”(L.Yang and G.Wall, 2009) (1).
Sapa is a mountainous district in the northwest of Vietnam. Tourism in Sapa has developed remarkably thanks to the beautiful landscape, the cool climate and especially the diversity of ethnic groups’ cultures. Number of tourists visited Sapa have increased ten times in the ten-year period from 30 thousands in 1997 to over 300 thousands in 2007(3,4). In the interview of VOVNews in February 2009, Mr. Mai Quang Trung, district party committee secretary of Sapa, said that Sapa would be expanded 5 times and would have 5 or 6 more minority ethnic communities joining in tourism in the near future (2). The question that arise is should the government invest on expansion for a rapid development or preservation for a sustainable development?
In Sapa, the minority ethnic groups, living in the surroundings of the town, hold more than 80% of population. The rapid development of tourism has brought not only benefits but also many negative impacts on local community. The obvious benefits from tourism are creating jobs, increasing incomes, broadening community knowledge, developing economy, improving infrastructure and etcetera. However, those benefits are limited to minority ethnic groups. It is because of the fact that major tourism businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, markets are taken place in the town, where majority group are living. Even tours to minority ethnic villages are day tours, mainly for sightseeing and there’s little benefit for the villages. Whereas, threats to sustainable development are recognizable, especially in terms of culture. These minority ethnic groups are sensitive and prone to injury. The most typical example for negative impact of tourism is the disappearance of “love market”*. With tourism and curious tourists, the real love market does not take place anymore. Currently it is just a representation of the love market. Commercializing and imitating are damaging traditional ethnic values. Lifestyle of young ethnic generation is changing in negative way. Bad situations such as street kids, tourist harassment by vendors are increasingly becoming popular. Some studies about Sapa also indicated that tourism have damaged minority ethnic groups more than benefits it has brought to them (Michael Digregorio, 1996; Mark E.Grindley, 1997; Pham Thi Mong Hoa, Lam Thi Mai Lan 1999) (2).
From that fact, in my opinion, Sapa government should concentrate on preserving ethnic culture for a sustainable development rather than expanding tourism industry. To do so, a series of works need to be done, such as formulating detail planning, efficient managing, educating and training minority ethnic groups, etc. These works cannot be done overnight. It requires a lot of time and efforts.
* The love market in Sapa used to be the place for dating. On Saturday, after a hard market-day, all young girls and boys gather together at the love market to find a partner to get married. They sing songs to attract opposite sex.
References:
(1) Li Yang , Geoffrey Wall (2009), Ethnic tourism: A framework and an application, Tourism Management 30 (2009) 559–570
(2) Sapa tourism will have a new look (“Du lịch Sapa sẽ mang một diện mạo mới”), VOVNews Online, available at http://vovnews.vn/Home/Du-lich-Sa-Pa-se-mang-mot-dien-mao-moi/20092/104215.vov
(3) Pham Thi Mong Hoa, Lam Thi Mai Lan (1999), Tourism to minority ethnic groups in Sapa district, Lao Cai Province (Du lịch đối với dân tộc thiểu số ở Huyện Sapa, Tỉnh Lào Cai), www.tailieu.vn
(4) Sapa tourism statistics, Sapa Tourism Office, available at http://sapatourism.info.vn/images/file/baocaodulich2007.pdf
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