The perceived impacts of tourism the case ha long, quang ninh

International Journal of Tourism Sciences, Volume 14, Number 2, pp 145-169, 2014 Tourism Sciences Society of Korea All rights reserved The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam Long Hong Pham Vietnam National University, Vietnam ABSTRACT: A study was undertaken among the residents in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh, Vietnam, to examine the perceived impacts of tourism and to explore residents’ support for tourism development In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 residents The findings show that, on the whole, respondents viewed tourism positively and displayed strong support for tourism development They were generally in favor of tourism that contributes economically and socio–culturally to Ha Long Bay They were, however, slightly ambivalent about the environmental impacts of tourism Based on the findings, this paper discusses the implications of the research, and the direction for future studies Keywords: Residents’ perceptions; tourism impacts; support for tourism development; Ha Long Bay; Vietnam ** Ph.D Lecturer, Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Vietnam National University, Vietnam E-mail: phamhonglong@gmail.com Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/ abstract=2599949 146 Pham Hong Long Introduction Tourism development has been identified as an effective way to revitalize the economy of a destination, whether rural or urban (Chen & Chen, 2010) However, the tourism industry relies heavily upon local residents’ goodwill, participation and support (Andriotis, 2005; Yoon, Gursoy, & Chen, 2001) Tourism, therefore, should be developed according to the local residents’ needs and desires An understanding of local residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts and their attitudes toward tourism development is fundamental for the success and sustainability of any type of tourism development (Allen, Long, Perdue, & Kieselbach, 1988; Gursoy, Chi, & Dyer, 2009; Kuvan & Akan, 2005; Lankford & Howard, 1994; Yoon et al., 2001) Although a wealth of research has examined residents’ perceptions as well as their attitudes towards tourism impacts and tourism development, especially in developed countries, these are still a relatively new concern for tourism researchers and scholars of developing countries such as Vietnam In Vietnam, to date, few studies of this kind have been attempted, except for those by Long (2011) and Long and Kayat (2011) This research paper represents preliminary findings from a study of residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts and their support for tourism development in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh, Vietnam There are three main objectives of this research paper: i to examine residents’ perceptions of overall tourism impacts, ii to explore residents’ support for tourism development, and iii to make recommendations for tourism policy for the study area Literature Review Tourism has been referred to as a “goose that not only lays a golden egg, but also fouls its own nest” (Julio, 2001) Like many other industries, it is often used as a national or regional development tool (Jackson, 2008; Liu & Var, 1986) However, tourism development without proper planning and integration with local values and environment can result in socio-cultural, environmental and economic damage to the host population (Lee, Li, & Kim, 2007; Tatoglu, Erdal, Ozgur, & Azakli, 2002) In general, tourism development within a host community often impacts the Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/ abstract=2599949 The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 147 community both in negative and positive ways These impacts are often classified into economic, socio-cultural and environmental tourism impacts (Allen et al., 1988; Chen & Chen, 2010; Jackson, 2008; Kuvan & Akan, 2005; Liu, Sheldon, & Var, 1987; Liu & Var, 1986; Long, 2011; Long & Kayat, 2011; Long, Perdue, & Allen, 1990; Nepal, 2008; Pérez & Nadal, 2005) In fact, empirical research identifying tourism impacts as perceived by residents is vast Earlier researchers have suggested that despite the availability of research on residents’ perceptions as well as attitudes towards tourism and its impacts, it is necessary to conduct research on this topic in other geographical locations, in different settings, and over a period of time in order to not only reinforce earlier findings but also identify and explore other factors that may influence the host residents (Andriotis, 2004, 2005; Cavus & Tanrisevdi, 2003; Haralambopoulos & Pizam, 1996; Kuvan & Akan, 2005; Sheldon & Var, 1984; Smith & Krannich, 1998; Yoon et al., 2001) According to Cevat (2001), every study of tourism impacts is unique because it is related to its own characteristics, which makes it difficult to derive its worldwide validity This implies the need for the study of tourism impacts on residents in each specific region While most of the previous studies used quantitative approaches to explore residents’ perception of tourism impacts This current study uses a qualitative approach to examine the impacts of tourism development as a trade-off between local residents’ perceived benefits (i.e positive impacts) and costs (i.e negative impacts) Positive and negative impacts are included in three dimensions – economic, socio-cultural, and environmental Area of Study The site selected for this study is Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province, which is located in the North-East of Vietnam (See Figure 1) It is an area of superlative natural beauty It is also a treasure house of unusual and unique geomorphic features, ecosystems and bio-diversity There are many sites of historical significance and archaeological remains in and around the Bay, and it is strongly represented in myths and legends of the Vietnamese people (Galla, 2002) Ha Long Bay has been recognized twice, in 1994 and 2000, by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage area for its universal value of landscape and geology In addition, it has been recently voted (2011) as one of the new seven natural wonders of the world 148 Pham Hong Long Ha Long Bay is an important site both economically and culturally for Vietnam, and has played a significant role in the development for the country as an international tourism destination It is one of Vietnam’s premier tourism destinations (Hien, 2011) According to figures from the Cultural Office of Ha Long City, during 2002, 1.7 million people visited the Bay By 2011, there were more than million annual visitors, 50% being foreigners (Ha Long, 2012) Figure Location of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam Source: Mark (2009) In spite of the tremendous expansion of the Ha Long tourism industry and the knowledge that the attitudes and perceptions of local residents are vital for the success of tourism, little is known about the local residents of Ha Long Although, there appears to be substantial research on tourism activities in Ha Long Bay, no published research has, so far, dealt with the residents’ perception of the impacts of tourism and their attitudes towards and support for tourism development in Ha Long Bay Hence, there is a need for a study that The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 149 will build on the existing, albeit limited body of knowledge concerning these issues Method In–depth interviews In–depth interviews were conducted with Ha Long Bay residents to find out how they perceived the impacts of tourism The questions were open–ended and the interview was informal and semi–structured The main advantage of in– depth interviews is that they provide a better understanding of respondents’ thinking and attitudes on some issues that could be achieved with structured interviews (Hernandez, Cohen, & Garcia, 1996) Veal (2011) concludes that one of the benefits of the unstructured interview is that it allows the interviewer to interact with respondents in a conversational setting so as to reach the heart of the subject under investigation Semi–structured interviews are generally the most useful, in that they allow full exploration of the topic and yet retain a degree of structure, which ensures that most of the information obtained is relevant and manageable (Veal, 2011) In fact, these interviews made it possible to explore certain themes and nuances, further enriching the data Sampling and sample size The sampling strategy adopted in this study was a purposeful one It thus utilized non–probability sampling (Jennings, 2001; Veal, 2011) From a positivist research perspective, it could be argued that the main weakness of purposive sampling is that the researcher’s subjectivity can introduce bias in the selection of the subjects for the sample (Kalsom Kayat, 2000) However, if the criteria for selecting the sample are established beforehand and the researcher strictly adheres to the criteria, this problem can be minimized In purposeful sampling, an appropriate sample size for the study is one that adequately answers the research questions Thus the researcher decides when enough participants or units have been sampled (Ramchander, 2004) This occurs when there is redundancy with regard to data In this study this was achieved after conducting 11 interviews The cut–off is not predetermined, but emerges from the research process and concurrent data analysis 150 Pham Hong Long Interview guide An interview guide (see Appendix for the full version) was developed for use during the in–depth individual interviews The guide was organized to help the researcher answer the research questions using a semi–structured interviewing technique The questions in the interview guide were translated to Vietnamese as the interviews were conducted in that language Since a qualitative approach was employed, the interview guide was not strictly followed The order and specific wording of questions varied from interview to interview However, the guide helped the interviewer to continually focus the interviews on topics relevant to the research objectives The respondents were free to expand on each topic as they saw fit, and to relate their own experiences The interviewer intervened only for clarification or further explanation Interview process Depending on the respondents’ preference, the interviews were conducted either at the respondents’ home, office, place of business or at a public place such as a coffee shop or restaurant Each interview began with several minutes of chatting between the interviewer and respondent to establish a comfortable rapport The interviewer then explained the goals of the research Respondents were asked for their voluntary participation and were reassured that their identity and responses would be kept confidential Respondents were also asked if the interview could be recorded In cases where respondents consented, tape recordings were made, which enabled the interviewer to pay close attention to discussions; transcriptions of recordings were made later Interviews with respondents lasted from 30 minutes to one hour The interviewer used a copy of the interview guide to keep the respondents on track At the end of each interview, the interviewer summarized the key ideas given by the respondents and the respondents were asked to confirm these points Respondents were thanked for their participation and instructed how to contact the research team if they had additional questions and comments Data analysis For this study a content analysis method was followed to understand the procedures and importance of qualitative data analysis Qualitative data collected through interview schedules WAs coded, and repeated themes (responses) or concepts recorded until saturation was achieved (Veal, 2011) The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 151 Recorded interviews were transcribed and coded into themes already established in the interview guide The essence of the analysis procedure returns to the terms of reference, the research problem and research questions, and undergoes sorting and evaluations based on the information gathered in relation to the questions posed (Finn, Elliott-White, & Walton, 2000) Results The researcher chose to analyse the content of the in–depth interviews holistically and to report the recurring themes in their original form so as to reflect a real–world setting Responses were divided into themes Profile of respondents The interviews were conducted from October 15 to October 25, 2011, with an average interview time of approximately 40 minutes A total of eleven respondents were selected to participate in the interview, including three television reporters, two hotel receptionists, two restaurant owners, one high school teacher, one golf course manager, one accountant, and one government officer Among the respondents, six were female and five were male, aged between 24 and 55 All of the respondents were Kinh Eight respondents were born in Ha Long, while three were born elsewhere Six were married, while five were still single In terms of education level, two acquired high school degrees, three held college degree, five held university degree and one had received a masters’ degree The monthly income of all respondents was above 3,000,000 VND (Vietnamese Dong) Eight respondents reported that they have been living in Ha Long since they were born, two had lived there for ten years, and only one had come to Ha Long just one year before The socio– demographic description for each interviewee is summarized in Table Table Socio–demographic description for each interviewee No Age Gender Ethnic Place of birth Marital status Education Monthly household income Job status Length of residency 152 Pham Hong Long in Ha Long 32 Male Kinh 47 Female Kinh 55 Female Kinh 25 Female Kinh 27 Male Kinh 36 Male Kinh 24 Female Kinh 25 Female Kinh 31 Male Kinh 10 38 Female Kinh 11 48 Male Kinh Other Ha Long Ha Long Ha Long Other Ha Long Ha Long Ha Long Other Ha Long Ha Long Single Married Married College High school High school 10,000,000VND 5,000,000VND 6,000,000VND Single University 5,000,000VND Single College 4,500,000VND Married Master 5,000,000VND Single University 3,000,000VND Golf course manager Restaurant owner Restaurant owner Hotel receptionist Hotel receptionist High school teacher Television reporter Television reporter Television reporter Single University 5,000,000VND Married College 5,000,000VND Married University 6,000,000VND Accountant Married University 5,000,000VND Government officer Only year Since was born Since was born Since was born 10 years Since was born Since was born Since was born Around 10 years Since was born Since was born Perceived benefits In general, the respondents thought that tourism has brought many benefits to Ha Long Bay Table summarizes the positive perceptions of tourism revealed by the interviews The following sections discuss the perceived benefits in more detail Economic benefits Among the benefits described, economic benefits were most frequently mentioned by respondents All of the respondents, regardless of their socio– demographic characteristics, mentioned that tourism had brought more employment and earning opportunities to Ha Long A high school teacher remarked “The tourism industry has been developing very fast in Ha Long in recent years Though I am not working in the tourism industry, I see many people working in this industry, such as having jobs in hotels, restaurants, tourist’s boats and junks, or working as tour guides, hawkers” The spin–off effects of increased earnings were also mentioned by respondents A lady who works as an accountant for a bank in Ha Long stated “When there is tourism, there is employment When there is employment, there is income…Income has definitely increased” These findings correspond with the results of many other research studies, which have found that tourism creates employment and earning opportunities for local residents (Belisle & Hoy, 1980; Chen & Chen, 2010; Faulkner & Tideswell, 1997; Lee et al., 2007; Liu & Var, 1986; Rudež & The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 153 Vodeb, 2010; Schofield, 2011) Respondents also indicated that besides bringing more employment and earning opportunities, tourism development in Ha Long has also created opportunities for local residents to develop their own businesses Travel agencies, bars, pubs, restaurants, and bed and breakfasts have developed Many hawkers are selling art and crafts, as well as local cuisine A young girl who works for a local television station remarked “I was born and raised in Ha Long…over time I have seen many local people opening their own businesses due to tourism development” Business and entrepreneurial opportunities for local people are tourism impacts normally described in the literature Many authors have also found that tourism opens up new business opportunities for local residents (Chen & Chen, 2010; Huttasin, 2008; Nunkoo & Ramkissoon, 2010; Tovar & Lockwood, 2008; Yoon et al., 2001) Another perceived benefit of tourism frequently mentioned by respondents is “improved infrastructure” Seven of the eleven respondents mentioned that they observed a remarkable improvement in infrastructure in the last 15 years An elderly lady who runs a restaurant said: “Though tourism in Ha Long Bay has been famous for many years, development has rapidly increased in the last ten years Before, the road along Ha Long Bay was not good, and nothing was developed at all, but now, you can see a very nice road, a magnificent bridge, many new buildings, restaurants, shopping places and taverns I think tourism has led to the development of infrastructure, new facilities and amenities” In fact, tourism in Ha Long Bay has played a significant role in the development of Quang Ninh province and for the country as an international tourism destination Large sums of money have been spent to develop roads, bridges, sewage projects, museums, and craft centres Thus, there is no doubt that the present study found most respondents expressing the perception that improved infrastructure in Ha Long Bay has been due to tourism development The increase in job and income opportunities created by the tourism industry has also improved the standard of living for some respondents in Ha Long Bay, as was mentioned by a hotel receptionist: “Tourism creates jobs for many people in Ha Long Bay and I think their living standard and quality of life may become better based on their jobs” When asked if her living standard/quality of life was better due to tourism development, she replied “Yes, I used to work in a post office, but that job was very boring, so I gave it up and began to work for this hotel My income is not really high, but I feel it’s very interesting to meet many people from all over the world…” This finding 154 Pham Hong Long coincides with the findings of Akis et al (1996); Andereck and Vogt (2000); Andriotis and Vaughan (2003); Belisle and Hoy (1980); Haralambopoulos and Pizam (1996); Huttasin (2008); Kuvan and Akan (2005); Lee et al (2007); Liu and Var (1986) The other perceived economic benefit of tourism was economic growth and an increased local budget For example, a golf course manager expressed “In Ha Long, besides the mining industry and fishing industry, tourism is another important source of income for the city…The economy of Ha Long is well developed because of tourism”, and a government officer remarked “Due to tourism development in Ha Long Bay, the local budget has been increased” Socio–cultural benefits Besides economic tourism benefits, respondents were also aware of the socio–cultural benefits of tourism Previous studies (Akis et al., 1996; Andereck & Vogt, 2000; Belisle & Hoy, 1980; Chen & Chen, 2010; Johnson et al., 1994; Kuvan & Akan, 2005; Tovar & Lockwood, 2008) found that tourism resulted in greater cultural exchange between tourists and residents Respondents in this study perceived tourism as capable of bringing cultures together For example, a man who works as a high school teacher spoke of this, “tourism is another way of bridging people, cultures and languages” His comment was often repeated by other respondents A female respondent working for a local television station also shared a similar thought, “You see, Ha Long Bay has attracted a lot of tourists, many of them are foreigners When tourists come, they come with their cultures…So, if local people would like to provide services for tourists, they have to better understand tourists and vice versa” Another common socio–cultural perceived benefit of tourism was “the promotion of a good image of Ha Long Bay to foreign countries and foreign tourists” For example, a golf course manager stated “Obviously, Ha Long Bay is a famous place as it is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, but tourism has helped to promote Ha Long Bay to other countries more famously as a destination for foreign tourists” A television reporter expressed, “…the image of Ha Long Bay is improving” Other authors have also found such benefits at other tourism destinations (Perdue et al., 1990; Ramchander, 2004) Tourism has increased residents’ pride in their culture (Huttasin, 2008; Tatoglu et al., 2002; Tovar & Lockwood, 2008) Indeed, increases in residents’ pride in Ha Long Bay were often mentioned by respondents when they were asked about the socio–cultural benefits of tourism A government officer’s The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 155 comment “tourism has our people interested in local arts and traditions” was repeated by other respondents A hotel receptionist proudly spoke of this: “In Ha Long, we have the Ha Long Bay summer carnival every year There are many foreign art delegations, coming from all over the world….Yes, it is really a great chance for Ha Long Bay people to show their culture to the outside world I think tourism has resulted in a renewal of cultural traditions and practices, song, dance, music, food and crafts” Respondents also indicated that because of tourism “Ha Long Bay has more professional tour guides” and “local people have to learn foreign languages, especially English and Chinese, to communicate with foreign visitors, and that is really good for Ha Long Bay people” as mentioned by a golf course manager and a hotel receptionist, respectively Environmental benefits Survey data seems to indicate that tourism has brought few environmental benefits to Ha Long Bay when compared to economic and socio–cultural benefits However, some environmental benefits were mentioned by respondents A television reporter remarked, “Tourism is good…and because tourists come to visit Ha Long Bay, it has helped local people to be aware of the preservation and natural upkeep of Ha Long Bay” Her comment was reinforced by a comment from a government officer “…Of course there are still many environmental problems we need to think about, but from my point of view, Ha Long is more beautiful and cleaner now”, he said, “imagine if there were no tourism, there would be no garbage collection programs But in fact, due to tourism development, we have more and more garbage collection programs and the sewage system has been improved” Previous studies (Andereck & Vogt, 2000; Perdue et al., 1990) reported that tourism improved the tourism destinations’ appearance Respondents in this study perceived that due to tourism development, the appearance of Ha Long is now better For example, a golf course manager expressed his thought about the appearance of Ha Long: “…I have been living and working in Ha Long for over a year Previously I only came to Ha Long as a tourist I think Ha Long city has been changed for the better As you see, this place where I am working now is much better than before Before, it was just a hill of cane–brake, now it is a resort with a beautiful view facing the bay” Table Respondents’ positive perceptions of tourism Main variables Sub variables 156 Pham Hong Long Economic variables Socio–cultural variables Environmental variables More employment and earning opportunities Business/entrepreneurial opportunities for local people Improved infrastructure Improvement of living situations/standard of living Economic growth Increased local budget Greater cultural exchange between tourists and residents Promotion of a positive image of Ha Long Bay to foreign countries and foreign tourists Raised residents’ pride in Ha Long Bay’s cultures More professional tour–guides, improved level of languages (Chinese, English) among local people Improved residents’ awareness of preservation of nature in Ha Long Bay Improved aesthetics and cleanliness of Ha Long Bay Improved appearance in the area More garbage collection programs, and improved sewage systems Perceived costs Respondents’ attitudes towards and perceptions of tourism impacts and tourism development were found to fluctuate continuously between the positive and the negative While respondents revealed predominantly positive feelings towards tourism development, they were also able to point out some specific negative impacts There tended to be differences in opinions among respondents with different socio–characteristics It seemed respondents who no direct business relationship with tourism had revealed more negative attitudes than those who had a direct relationship Table summarizes the results of the negative perceptions of tourism revealed by the interviews The following sections discuss the findings pertaining to the costs of tourism perceived by the respondents Economic costs According to Ap (1990), if tourism is perceived to create costs that impinge on residents adversely, they may develop negative attitudes to tourism in their communities Although tourism has brought great economic benefits to Ha Long Bay, it has also brought costs All respondents thought tourism development was responsible for price inflation For example, an accountant who works for a bank in Ha Long stated, “The most negative side of tourism, from which I am also suffering, is price inflation Every day I go to market, I have to buy things at tourism prices I have been to many tourism destinations in our country and I observed that The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 157 price inflation in Ha Long is considered to be highest That is one of the reasons tourists may not come back to Ha Long again” A high school teacher also shared his thought about tourism prices He remarked, “Besides price inflation for goods and services, I think tourism is also the cause of inflated real estate prices Many outsiders rush to Ha Long to buy land that later can be used for building guest houses, hotels, restaurants and so on…Many local residents are not able to buy the land” A local television reporter also observed price inflations in Ha Long “Prices are extremely high in the tourism seasons When tourism prices increase, it will be a burden to the local residents” In fact, many previous studies (Akis et al., 1996; Andriotis, 2004; Chen & Chen, 2010; Huttasin, 2008; Rudež & Vodeb, 2010; Tovar & Lockwood, 2008) also found that tourism was blamed by many destination residents for price inflation However, some respondents who had tourism related jobs did not perceive price inflation as a burden They believed that their increased earnings would allow them to afford the higher prices of goods and services For example, a lady who runs a restaurant spoke of this, “I agree that the prices of many goods and services in Ha Long are high, but you see, Ha Long is a big city Even without tourism, the prices can be high, so why we have to blame tourism?” Another respondent (a government officer) felt that he and many local residents were not bothered by the higher prices of goods and services, “…Yes, the prices are high, but we can afford them, if not, we don’t live here” This finding coincides with that of Kayat (2000) who explains that residents have been able to adapt to the inconveniences caused by tourism Table Sample responses relating to price inflation Sample responses “The most negative side of tourism that I am also suffering is the price inflation Every day I go to market, I have to buy things with tourism prices…” “…Ha Long is a big city, even without tourism, the prices can be high, why we have to blame for tourism” Respondents An accountant A restaurant owner Puczkó and Rátz (2000) suggest that seasonal tourism creates high risk and under or unemployment issues Several respondents (especially, those with tourism related jobs) also indicated that tourism was responsible for unstable jobs, seasonal jobs and less income A hotel receptionist mentioned this issue when she stated, “In the summer, there are many tourists in Ha Long Bay, but from October to March, it is winter season in Ha Long, not so many tourists 158 Pham Hong Long come to Ha Long Bay this time (mostly foreign tourists) We have fewer jobs and less income during this time, so it affects us a bit” A restaurant owner also remarked, “We have to reduce the number of staff in the winter Our business in this season is not stable at all, sometimes good, and sometimes really bad” A golf course manager pointed towards an income gap as another economic cost of tourism “Not only in Ha Long, but in many places, I can see tourism income primarily benefitting only those who have more capital or power, and those people are normally from outside” This finding supports the findings by other authors (Andriotis, 2004; Andriotis & Vaughan, 2003; Kuvan & Akan, 2005; Ramchander, 2004) Socio–cultural costs When asked if tourism brought any socio–cultural costs to Ha Long Bay and to residents in Ha Long, respondents also differed in their opinions Several respondents claimed that harmful effects brought into Ha Long by outsiders have intensified social problems However, other respondents believed that tourism is not the one causing the social problems For example, a government officer stated that Ha Long Bay residents should not blame tourism According to him, social problems such as the ones people talk about in Ha Long could be found everywhere, not just tourism places: “I don’t think tourism brings so many social problems to Ha Long Tourists who present social problems are few in number The social problems themselves are available in Ha Long and many other big cities Ha Long is different from other tourism destinations in that its tourism is not causing prostitution, drug use or crime As you know, in Ha Long, the mining industry and the marine industry have also been developed, people could easily earn money, and when people have money, those problems apparently appeared” A hotel receptionist shared the same thought when she mentioned, “Normally, tourists, when they come to Ha Long, they fully comply with regulations Sometimes, the social problems such as drug use and prostitution come from the local residents, and the local residents have even tried to draw tourists to those social problems” However, other respondents, those who had no direct relationship with tourism, claimed that the social problems were being caused by influences brought into Ha Long by tourists or outsiders For example, a man who is a reporter for a local television station remarked, “Generally, tourists in Ha Long Bay have good attitudes, but some tourists behave very badly, especially back–packers They bring with them foreign cultures such as excessive drinking, gambling and so on And it is very difficult The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 159 for local government to manage these problems” An accountant, who works for a local bank also observed the socio–cultural problems caused by tourism, stating, “Yes, there are some negative tourism impacts in Ha Long You know Vuon Dao street right, it is considered to be a “red light” street in Ha Long Many tourists, especially those who stay over–night in Ha Long, go there to find “call girls” Prostitution is on the increase in that street.” Table Sample responses relating to social problems Sample responses “I don’t think tourism brings social problems to Ha Long Tourists who come with social problems are very few The social problems themselves are available in Ha Long and many other big cities…” “…You know Vuon Dao street right, it is considered as “red light” street in Ha Long, many tourists, especially those stay over–night in Ha Long, coming there to find for “call girls” Prostitution is on the increase in that street.” Respondents A government officer An accountant According to Huttasin (2008), the presence of tourists, with or without interaction with residents, arouses the desire of local residents to imitate the behavior of the tourists and relinquish cultural traditions Respondents in this study also mentioned these tourism costs, for example, a high school teacher said: “Young people seem to learn new things easily If they learn good things from tourists, there will be no problems However, many teenagers just learn to smoke and drink They go to dance clubs They were influenced by the bad things from tourists’ culture.” The other socio–cultural problems mentioned by respondents regarding the costs of tourism were “bad hospitality from small venders” and “more beggars and street children” For example, a lady who works for a local bank expressed, “I am saying tourism is good, but it seems tourism makes local people to be much commercialized Suppose you were a tourist and you came to Ha Long market, you would see how venders behave towards you They are so commercialized and unfriendly They should be the ones who promote the good side of Ha Long, but they end up making it worse” A television reporter mentioned “I observe that tourism has attracted many beggars and street children I don’t know where they come from, but I have noticed that they are in Ha Long, especially during the Ha Long Bay summer carnival and Ha Long Bay tourism seasons…they not only harass tourists, but local residents as well” Environmental costs When it comes to environmental costs, most respondents agreed that 160 Pham Hong Long tourism development was responsible for some environmental costs For example, a female television reporter remarked, “There are so many boats and so much junk in Ha Long Bay now For me, they just make Ha Long Bay ugly In addition, these things threaten the Bay with more litter, and more oil and petrol put into the Bay Tourist boat transport needs to be more planned and better managed…” A high school teacher also expressed that, “The environment of Ha Long Bay has degraded somewhat When I was a small child, I liked to swim in Ha Long Bay But now, I don’t think it is easy for me to choose good places for swimming, the water of Ha Long Bay seems to be polluted with oil and petro from tourist boats” However, a golf course manager did not totally agree with those mentioned problems, he explained “I don’t think Ha Long Bay water is awful Of course at the wharf and along the coast, the water around is not that good, but if you go further into the Bay, the water is still clean” In fact, it seems tourism is not the only thing causing water pollution in Ha Long Bay A serious potential negative effect on the Bay waters is substantial sedimentation, which is a result of uncontrolled forest clearing in the hinterland to service the mines and timber industry The sediment may damage the coral and other aquatic biodiversity, but also affects the visual impact of the Bay (Hien, 2011) A government officer stated, “…Due to tourism development, we have more and more garbage collection programs and the sewage system has been improved” and he also explained, “Mining in Ha Long is the main industry of the city as well, sediment from the mining and storage areas enters coastal waters” Respondents also indicated that tourism was responsible for over–fishing A high school teacher spoke of this, “Due to tourism development, local fishermen are encouraged to gather all seafood to sell to tourists Seafood has become very expensive I think it is being over–fished in Ha Long Bay” Table Respondents’ negative perceptions of tourism Main variables Economic variables Socio–cultural variables Sub variables Higher price (inflation), especially for foods and real estates Tourism benefits are in the hands of a few, especially those from outside of Ha Long Seasonal jobs, unstable jobs Social problems, but tourism seems not to be blamed for Social problems such as crime, drug use, prostitution, alcoholism, robbery… Young people tend to imitate and copy tourists’ lifestyle, attitude, behavior, and dress Bad hospitality from small venders The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam Environmental variables 161 More beggars and street children Over crowded with boats and junks Environmental degradation The Bay is being polluted by oil and petrol from the tourists’ boats Over–fishing for tourists’ demands Evaluations of tourism impacts (Weight of Perceived benefits versus Weight of Perceived costs) and support for tourism in Ha Long Bay When asked if tourism benefits outweighed tourism costs in Ha Long Bay and whether they supported tourism development, all respondents, regardless their socio–demographic characteristics expressed that what they perceived as benefits outweighed what they perceived as costs, and that they would support tourism development in Ha Long Bay However the way they weighed the benefits and the costs and the way they supported tourism development were different Based on their perceptions and support, they were divided into: Respondents with very favourable (strongly supportive) attitudes towards tourism, respondents with favourable (supportive) attitudes towards tourism, and respondents who have favourable attitudes toward tourism but want greater regulation Respondents with very favorable attitudes towards tourism Four out of eleven respondents indicated very favourable attitudes toward, and strong support for, tourism development in Ha Long Bay These respondents include two restaurant owners, one hotel receptionist, and one golf course manager They indicated that the benefits greatly outweighed the costs and that they strongly supported further tourism development For example, a golf course manager remarked, “Of course everything has its good sides and bad sides, but tourism in Ha Long Bay brings us more benefits than costs, especially for our economics and living standard I support tourism entirely” A hotel receptionist stated, “I am involved with tourism… We should encourage more tourism in Ha Long Bay” In fact, the respondent who showed very favourable attitudes towards tourism and strongly supported tourism were those whose jobs or businesses were directly or indirectly related to tourism Respondents with favourable attitudes towards tourism Three out of eleven respondents indicated favourable attitudes toward, and support for, tourism development These people generally were satisfied with tourism benefits and perceived that even though tourism costs still remain in Ha 162 Pham Hong Long Long Bay, particularly the negative environmental impacts, they not pose serious threats For example, a local television reporter stated, “There are only a few negative sides of tourism and only a few people who blame tourism for its negative sides Tourism therefore still needs to develop further in Ha Long” An accountant also shared her thoughts, “If we think in a negative way, tourism, of course, still has many negative impacts in Ha Long But if we think more positively, we know tourism brings many benefits I am not involved with the tourism industry, but I am supporting tourism to attract more tourists to Ha Long Bay” Respondents who have favorable attitudes toward tourism but want greater regulation Four respondents showed their support for tourism development, but also expressed concern about the costs that tourism brings to Ha Long Bay They were optimistic about tourism, but they agreed that regulation is needed to limit the costs, especially the socio–cultural and environmental costs According to them, if the costs of tourism in Ha Long Bay are not regulated, then they will eventually have dire effects For example, a high school teacher said, “At the moment, I can see tourism brings more benefits to Ha Long Bay than costs To be honest, I am not really satisfied with current tourism industry in Ha Long Bay as it is still lacking services to keep visitors staying longer time in Ha Long and there are more and more problems with the environment I am supporting tourism development in Ha Long….[but] it seems environmental costs are becoming more serious Tourism stakeholders in Ha Long should regulate these things so that they will not get worse.” A government officer remarked, “I am content with tourism in Ha Long and I support tourism development, but I am aware of some of the costs to Ha Long, especially those relating to the environment We are trying to manage those costs, and hope that things will improve” Table Respondents’ support for tourism development Attitudes Very favorable (Strongly supportive) Favorable (supportive) Favorable but want more regulation Respondents A hotel receptionist, two restaurant owners, a golf course manager A hotel receptionist, an accountant, a television reporter A high school teacher, a government officer, two television reporters The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 163 Suggestion for future tourism development in Ha Long Bay Respondents were asked to give suggestions for tourism development in Ha Long Bay In general, most respondents expressed the need for the local government and local tourism administration to control costs of tourism and support further development in Ha Long Bay For example, a male television reporter spoke of this, “I think the local government and local tourism administration should provide proper rules and solutions to limit and solve the problems brought by tourism such as inflation, social problems, and environmental degradation” A high school teacher expressed “The local government and local tourism administration should provide residents with tourism awareness workshops, training, soft skills, and small business and entrepreneurial skills Tourism development in Ha Long requires coordination among stakeholders” And a government officer said “We all know that tourism human resources are still not good and tourism services in Ha Long Bay are not diverse, that we need to have more qualified people and to improve tourism services in order to satisfy the visitors’ needs and demands” His suggestions were also shared by a golf course manager “Tourism stakeholders in Ha Long must provide more tourism products and services (especially entertainment places to retain visitors for longer stays in Ha Long” Conclusion and implication By adopting a qualitative approach, the impacts of tourism as perceived by Ha Long Bay residents were explored in this study Overall, the findings revealed that Ha Long Bay residents in general highly valued tourism in terms of its positive economic and socio-cultural impacts, but raised some concerns about negative impacts, specifically, socio-cultural and environmental impacts All of the respondents supported tourism development as they valued its benefits more than its costs However, to maintain sustainable tourism, a long–term perspective of residents’ perception of tourism should be taken into account Local tourism planners and operators should seek to understand residents’ perceptions and attitudes before commencing development, and keep listening to residents’ thoughts rather than laying down top–down plans and programs This will enable them to assess local sentiments which should be incorporated into tourism policy planning Ha Long Bay residents also raised their voices about some concerns such as 164 Pham Hong Long inflation, social problems (crime, drug use, prostitution and so on), and environmental degradation (traffic congestion, solid waste and air, water, noise, and soil pollution) Thus, those responsible for tourism planning must find ways to mitigate and minimize these perceived negative impacts of tourism Ignoring negative consequences of tourism might make it difficult to promote tourism and possibly lead to resentment among residents which would keep them from wanting to welcome tourists (McDowall & Choi, 2010) The results of the study also indicated that local residents were willing to be involved in tourism development and be a part of tourism planning in Ha Long Bay, while they expressed concern primarily about the roles of government and local community in regulating and supporting tourism Thus it is essential to include local residents in the decision–making process as well as in tourism activities themselves so that they can voice their opinions and share their active roles in the development of Ha Long Bay tourism Limitation and Future Direction From a methodological point of view, the use of qualitative methodology entailed some limitations Qualitative research focuses on the ideas of a small number of individuals Given the potential existence of representative bias, findings were viewed with this limitation in mind Having said that, data obtained from the in–depth interviews was not designed to be generalizable to the greater population of Ha Long Bay residents Nevertheless, it may hold interest for members of other communities in developing tourist destinations that may also be experiencing sudden growth in tourism development In addition, because the selection of interview candidates and the interview process was highly dependent on the researcher’s judgment there is thus also potential for researcher bias Future research should study other tourist destination communities to learn about their perceptions of, and attitudes toward, tourism development in their area and whether the meanings behind their perceptions and attitudes are similar to those of Ha Long Bay residents Such information will be useful for providing more comparative findings To complement this research, full analyses of “real” economic, socio– cultural and environmental impacts are necessary In addition, research into tourist perceptions of, and attitudes toward, the tourism industry in Ha Long Bay, the hospitality of local residents, and their overall experiences would be beneficial This may give a detailed insight into what attracts tourists to Ha The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 165 Long Bay, what can be improved from the visitors’ perspective and whether or not tourists experienced any hostility from local residents This issue was not covered in this study References Akis, S., Peristianis, N., & Warner, J (1996) Residents' attitudes to tourism development: the case of Cyprus Tourism Management, 17(7), 481494 doi: 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Hall Yoon, Y., Gursoy, D., & Chen, J S (2001) Validating a tourism development theory with structural equation modeling Tourism Management, 22(4), 363-372 doi: 10.1016/s0261-5177(00)00062-5 Received June 8, 2014 Revised August 30, 2014 Accepted August 31, 2014 ... they were asked about the socio–cultural benefits of tourism A government officer’s The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 155 comment ? ?tourism has our people interested... observed that The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 157 price inflation in Ha Long is considered to be highest That is one of the reasons tourists may not come back to Ha. .. perceptions research on the social impacts of tourism Annals of Tourism Research, 17(4), 610-616 doi: 10.1016/0160-7383(90)90032-m The Perceived Impacts of Tourism: The Case of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam