CHỢ NỔI VÀ KHAI THÁC CHỢ NỔI PHỤC VỤ MỤC ĐÍCH DU LỊCH Ở ĐỒNG BẰNG SÔNG CỬU LONG ttta

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION NGUYEN TRONG NHAN FLOATING MARKETS AND FLOATING MARKET EXPLOITATION FOR TOURISM PURPOSES IN THE MEKONG DELTA Speciality: Geography Code number: 9.31.05.01 SUMMARY OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL DOCTORAL THESIS HANOI - 2019 THE THESIS WAS COMPLETED AT HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION Instructor: Prof Dr Le Van Thong Reviewer 1: Prof Dr Pham Hoang Hai Office: Institute of Geography Reviewer 2: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Xuan Truong Office: Thai Nguyen University of Education Reviewer 3: Assoc Prof Dr Hoang Phuc Lam Office: Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy The thesis will be protected in front of the thesis review board meeting at Hanoi National University of Education at………………………………… The thesis can be found at the libraries: National Library of Vietnam, Ha Noi or Library of Hanoi National University of Education LIST OF AUTHOR’S PUBLICATIONS IN RELATION TO THE THESIS 10 11 12 Nguyen Trong Nhan (2014), Bẹo tree – A cultural symbol on floating markets in the Mekong Delta, Journal of Cultural Heritage, 4(49), pp 102-104 Nguyen Trong Nhan (2015), Floating markets and floating market tourism, Vietnam Tourism Magazine, 11, pp 10-12 Nguyen Trong Nhan, Le Thong (2016), Background theory of floating market tourism, Scientific journal of Can Tho University, 43, pp 60-68 Nguyen Trong Nhan (2017), Floating markets in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam: Formation history, spatial changes, roles, weaknesses and Threats, Proceedings of the Scientific Conference "Conserving and promoting the cultural values of waterways in the process of integration and development", Cantho University Press, pp 208-218 Nguyen Trong Nhan (2017), Attractions of floating markets in the Mekong Delta for visitors, Proceedings of the Scientific Conference "Conserving and promoting the cultural values of waterways in the process of integration and development", Cantho University Press, pp 219-225 Nguyen Trong Nhan (2018), Floating markets in the Mekong Delta of Vetnam from the perspective of Geography, Ho Chi Minh City University of Science Journal, 15(2), pp 111-124 Nguyen Trong Nhan (2018), Research on floating markets in the Mekong Delta, Proceedings of “Young Scientist Conference of Teachers of National Universities, 7th”, Publisher of pedagogical University, pp 214220 Nguyen Trong Nhan (2018), Floating markets and floating market tourism in the Mekong Delta - main findings, Cuu Long University Journal of Science, 10, pp 21-27 Nguyen Trong Nhan (2018), Floating markets in the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam from the perspective of human ecology, Journal of Science and Technology of Vietnam, 60(11), pp 34-37 Nguyen Trong Nhan (2018), Factors affecting exploration of Cai Be and Cai Rang floating market tourism in Mekon Delta, HNUE Journal of Science, 63(4), pp 170-180 Nguyen Trong Nhan (2018), Solutions for floating market conservation in the Mekong Delta, Review of Regional Sustainable Development, 8(4), 9097 Nguyen Trong Nhan (2019), Solutions to exploite floating markets in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam for tourism, Proceedings of the 11th National Geographic Scientific Conference in 2019, Thanh Nien Press, pp 256-265 INTRODUCTION REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE TOPIC In recent decades, tourism has become an important economic sector of Vietnam The development of the tourism industry has created positive changes to the economy, society, culture and international integration process of the nation Recognizing the importance of tourism for the country's development, resolution 08 of the Ministry of Political has set a target that by 2020 tourism will basically become a key economic sector and by 2030 tourism is really a key economic sector of Vietnam In order to achieve the above objectives, it requires a great effort of all levels, sectors, enterprises and communities in concentrating all resources for the exploitation of tourism products, especially specific tourism products of the regions Floating market is a traditional commercial business type, containing cultural values of traveling, buying and unique activities of people on the river, capable of exploiting for tourism, so it is defined as a in specific tourism products of the Mekong Delta region Tourism types of floating market visiting, exploring, experiencing in the area have been attracting domestic and foreign tourists, contributing to generate revenue for localities and people However, over the past years, besides the activities, the investment have positive impacts, there are many barriers that prvent the existence and exploitation activities of floating markets for tourism in the region Meanwhile, localities are in need of preserving and exploiting floating markets for tourism Therefore, the study on "Floating markets and floating market exploitation for tourism purposes in the Mekong Delta" not only contributes to overcoming bottlenecks in the conservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism but also in line with the expectations of many localities OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH TASKS 2.1 Research objectives Based on an overview of theoretical and practical issues on floating markets and exploitation of floating markets for tourism, the dissertation analyzes the formation and development of floating markets, assesses the ability and current status of floating market exploitation for tourism in the Mekong Delta region From that, effective solutions are recommended for the conservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism in the study area 2.2 Research tasks To achieve above objectives, the tasks of the thesis are as follows: - Constructing scientific basis on floating market, floating market exploitation for tourism and applying to research in the Mekong Delta region; - Analyzing the formation and development of floating markets in the Mekong Delta; - Assessing the ability and current status of floating market exploition for tourism in the Mekong Delta region; - Proposing some solutions for the conservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism in the Mekong Delta region RESEARCH SCOPE - About research content: Analyzing the formation and development of floating markets in the Mekong Delta; analyzing the ability and status of floating market exploitation in the Mekong Delta to serve tourism; proposing some solutions for the conservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism in the study area - About research area: The research space of the thesis is in the Mekong Delta but the focus is on 11 floating markets (Cai Be, Tra On, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Ba Ngan, Nga Nam, Vinh Thuan, Ca Mau and Cai Nuoc) which belong to administrative units (Can Tho city, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, An Giang, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Kien Giang and Ca Mau provinces) - About research time: Secondary data used for the thesis is from 2014 to 2018 Primary data is collected from 2015 to 2018 SCIENTIFIC HYPOTHESIS From the research questions and objectives, the scientific hypothesis is as follows: (i) The process of formation and development of floating markets in the Mekong Delta due to the combined impact of natural factors (waterways) and socio-economy (people, goods and means of transport, transport system, traditional and modern markets, etc.) (ii) Floating markets in the Mekong Delta have the ability to attract tourists in the natural (waterways) and culture (goods, trading activities, goods hanging form, stallholders’ life) With different levels of convenience in terms of location and accessibility, tourism resources, infrastructure, the combination with other types of tourism, tourism development policies make the ability to exploit floating markets for tourism is different between floating markets (iii) The level of tourism development differs between floating markets and this is due to the impact of tourist demand, investment in technical facilities, service staff, participation of local people, management and investment of the state, etc (iv) The central and local management agencies lack of solutions for the conservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism purposes in the Mekong Delta VIEWPOINTS, METHODS AND PROCESS OF RESEARCH 5.1 Research viewpoints - Systematic viewpoint: The kernel of this view is the change of one factor that will affect other elements of the system - Synthetic viewpoint: In order to have a proper understanding about things, we must consider them in the interrelationship amongst their parts, elements, attributes and in the relationship with other things - Territorial viewpoint: The focus of this view is to consider and evaluate the distribution and relationship of things and phenomena on the earth's surface in space - Prospective and historical viewpoint: When considering and solving problems in real life, we must pay attention to practical conditions and historical circumstances that raise and develop things, phenomena as well as place things and phenomena in the status of movement, change and transformation in order to see their future development trend - Sustainable development viewpoint: The three pillars of this view are economic growth, social progress and environmental sustainability 5.2 Reasearch methods - Methods for collecting and processing documents: Materials for research are books, scientific journals, proceedings of scientific conference, projects, statistical yearbook, final report, statistic data, etc Analytical and synthesis methods used to handle related and trusted documents - The method of field observation: The author's process of observation was conducted in all the floating markets of the Mekong Delta with the number of observations of In addition, the author also participated in Cai Rang floating market cultural tourism festival annual and took a tour in the Amphawa, Damnoen Saduak and Taling Chan floating markets of Thailand - Semi-structured interview method: The author interviewed representatives of the state management agency on culture and tourism in Tien Giang province, Can Tho city, An Giang province and Soc Trang province as well as 80 local people who traded on floating markets - Questionnaire survey and data analysis methods: The author interviewed 400 tourists at Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets Methods of Descriptive statistics, Independent-Sample T Test, Bivariate correlation, Scale reliability, Exploratory factor and Multivariate linear regression analysis are used to analyze primary data - Professional method: The author participated in the workshops on “Preserving and promoting the cultural values of river in the Mekong Delta in the process of integration and development" (organized by Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Can Tho University), “Restoration of Nga Bay floating market in order to link with tourist sites in Nga Bay town and Phung Hiep district" (organized by People's Committee of Nga Bay town) and "Conservation and development of Cai Be floating market" (organized by People's Committee of Cai Be district) - Methods of map and GIS: The author edited administrative map, map of floating market distribution status, map of current status of floating tourism exploitation in the Mekong Delta, schema of current status of tourism exploitation in Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets - Analytical hierarchy process: This method is used to assess the ability to exploit floating markets for tourism in the Mekong Delta - SWOT analysis method: The author analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges for floating markets and floating market exploitation for tourism purposes in the Mekong Delta 5.3 Research process The thesis is carried out in a 6-step process THE SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THESIS 6.1 Scientific Significance Clarifying the theoretical basis of floating market, tourism and exploiting floating market for tourism; practical basis for floating market and exploitation of floating market for tourism in Thailand to apply to research in the Mekong Delta region In particular, the thesis has identified groups of factors affecting the formation of floating markets, aspects affecting the ability to exploit floating markets for tourism and groups of criteria for evaluating tourism exploitation activities to apply for analysis and evaluation in the study area 6.2 Practical significance - Analyzing the process of formation and development of floating market system in the Mekong Delta - Assessing the ability and status of exploiting floating markets for tourism purposes in the Mekong Delta - Identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges for the floating markets and exploitation of floating markets in the Mekong Delta for tourism purposes - Proposing solutions to preserve and exploit floating markets in Mekong Delta for tourism purposes STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS In addition to introduction, conclusion and appendix, the dissertation consists of chapters: Chapter 1: The scientific basic of floating market and exploitation of floating markets for tourism purposes Chapter 2: The formation and development of floating markets and exploitation of floating markets for tourism in the Mekong Delta Chapter 3: Solutions to preserve and exploite floating markets for tourism purposes in the Mekong Delta CHAPTER THE SCIENTIFIC BASIC OF FLOATING MARKET AND EXPLOITATION OF FLOATING MARKETS FOR TOURISM 1.1 OVERVIEW ABOUT RESEARCH ISSUE 1.1.1 International studies on the issue - Research on floating markets: Throughout the data, floating market studies were mainly conducted in Thailand and some of those are in Indonesia In Thailand, floating markets were studied are Amphawa, Thakha, Wat Takien, Damnoen Saduak, Taling Chan The studies focuse on: (i) Reconstruction, conservation and promotion of floating markets (Buasorn, 2010, Rattanapongpinyo, 2015); (ii) The impacts of tourism on the floating market resources and environment (Seyanont, 2009, Utarasakul, 2012; Choo-in et al., 2013); (iii) Management of floating markets (Charoensombat, 2002; Bhuapisit et al., 2013; Rodmanee et al., 2013) In Indonesia, there is a study on the role of social capital at the Lok Baintan floating market (Rahmini et al., 2015) The research results provide important material for the content of floating market of the thesis - Research on floating market tourism: To preserve and promote the floating markets, one of the effective ways is to set up tourism activities in the appropriate areas Recognizing this, Indonesia has studied floating market’s potential in tourism development (Normelani, 2016; Normelani et al., 2016) Compared with Indonesia, floating market tourism research works in Thailand are richer in quantity and more diversify on the topic Research trends in Thailand are about floating markets’ potential in tourist development (Wattanacharoensil and Sakdiyakorn, 2015), community-based floating market tourism (Vajikachorn, 2011, Vajikachorn and Nepal, 2014), tools/methods in managing tourism in the floating market (Kerdsueb and Teartisup, 2008; Taiwan, 2012; Buakwan and Visuthisamajarn, 2012), visitor satisfaction for sustainable floating market development (Wiwattanakantang and To- im, 2014) These studies provide useful material for analyzing the practical basis of floating market tourism of the thesis 1.1.2 Studies about floating markets in Vietnam - Research on floating markets: Two pioneering works in the floating market research are "The role of the floating market system in the distribution of vegetables and fruits in the Mekong Delta" (Do Van Xe et al., 2008) and "Floating markets in the Mekong Delta" (Nham Hung, 2009) The first study of the market under the eyes of economists, the second study of floating market under the view of the writer To provide further information about the floating market, many other researchers have done their studies on other aspects From the perspective of culture, there are studies by Tran Ngoc Them et al (2014), Vo Van Son (2016), Pham Phuong Thuy and Pham Hong Loan (2017) Ethnologically, floating markets was studied by Ngo Van Le (2014), Huynh Ngoc Thu (2015) From a historian perspective, floating markets was studied by Nguyen Huu Hieu (2017) Under human ecology view, floating markets have been studied by Dao Ngoc Canh (2017) The conservation and promotion of Nga Bay, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Cai Be floating markets have been studied by Nguyen Van Hoang (2013), Can Tho Institute of Economy and Society (2015), Dao Thi Ngoc Minh and Vo Thi Bich Diem (2017), Cai Be district People's Committee (2017), respectively Thus, floating markets have been studied in many aspects; however, the author has his own ideas about the floating markets’ formation and development in the Mekong Delta in this study and those are new points of view in this thesis - Research on floating market tourism: To date, in Vietnam, few studies on floating market tourism have been conducted In 2015, Cao Nguyen Ngoc Anh and Lam Nhan published two scientific papers on "Floating market tourism in the Mekong Delta: a case study of Cai Be floating market, Tien Giang province" and “Cai Be floating market in Tien Giang province with the exploitation and development of tourism", respectively In 2017, Cai Be district People's Committee implemented the project of preserving and promoting Cai Be floating market Beside Cai Be floating market, Cai Rang floating market has been studied by Can Tho Institute of Economy and Society ("Cai Rang floating market preservation and development project", 2015), Nguyen Thi Huynh Phuong ("The tourism development of Cai Rang floating market in Can Tho city, Vietnam: From policy to reality", 2017) These studies are similar to small parts compared with this thesis’s content The research results about the ability and the current status of the floating market exploitation for tourism, solutions to conserve and exploit floating markets for tourism in the Mekong Delta were independently studied by the author and these are new points of the thesis 1.2 THE SCIENTIFIC BASIC OF FLOATING MARKET AND EXPLOITATION OF FLOATING MARKETS FOR TOURISM PURPOSES 1.2.1 About floating market 1.2.1.1 The concept of floating market Based on analyzing concepts about the floating market in Vietnam and Thailand, it is possible to understand floating market is a concentrated point of commerce on the river, where travelling and trading activities are done by boats, canoes and expresses the livelihoods, traditional lifestyles of the people 1.2.1.2 Roles and functions of floating market Floating market is a place where people focus on trading and exchanging goods and services so it has roles such as: forming a social trade network, raising awareness of people in commodity economy, generating revenue for the local budget, promoting the development of many production lines, creating jobs for people, preserving national cultural identity Floating market is an important component of the traditional market so it has the following functions: trading goods, implementing and recognizing the value of the goods, creating value for goods, concentrating commodity, signaling the market, improving product distribution efficiency, providing services 1.2.1.3 Influence factors on the formation of floating market Floating markets are formed by the simultaneous impacts of natural and socio-economic factors Natural factors affecting the formation of floating markets are the roles and characteristics of waterways The socio-economic factors that influence the formation of floating markets include the abundant agricultural products, the need to buy and sell on the rivers, the demand for agricultural products of the urban people, the supply of waterways transport means of the market, the movement of goods by inland waterways plays the leading role, the consensus of society 1.2.2 About tourism 1.2.2.1 Concepts In this section, the concepts related to tourism are discussed including tourism, tourists, tourism resources, tourism products and community tourism Tourism is activities related to the trip of people outside their habitual residence for not more than one continuous year to meet the needs of sightseeing, relaxation, recreation, exploration and discovery of tourism resources or in combination with other legitimate purposes Tourists are those who travel or combine tourism, except in the case of going to work or school to receive income at the destination Tourism resources are natural landscape, natural elements and cultural values that form the basis for the formation of tourist products, tourist resorts and tourist spots in order to meet tourist demands Tourism resources include natural tourism resources and cultural tourism resources Travel products are a collection of services based on the exploitation of tourism resources to meet the needs of tourists Community tourism is a form of tourism developed on the basis of cultural values of the community, managed, exploited and benefited by communities 1.2.2.2 Types of tourism There are many ways to classify tourism based on visitors’ different purposes For example, based on travelling space there are domestic and international travel; based on trip purposes, it has sightseeing, leisure, visiting, business, and sports tourism, or festival, spiritual/religious, education, business, and exploring tourism; based on tourism resources we have natural and cultural tourism; based on means of transportation it consists of car, train, motorbike, bicycle, boat, raft, animal travelling; based on the form of organization there are group and personal tourism; etc However, the tourist classification that bases on journey purposes is more popular 1.2.3 Exploiting floating markets for tourism purposes 1.2.3.1 The definition of floating market tourism Floating market tourism is a part of cultural tourism, so the concept of floating market tourism is related to the concept of cultural tourism On the basis of analyzing some of the cultural tourism concepts in the world and in Vietnam, floating market tourism is understood as the activities that arise from the interaction of visitors with the centralized river trading activities of people, have the participation of the community, preserve and promote the floating market cultural values 1.2.3.2 Different subjects participating in floating market tourism Floating market tourism involves a number of different actors, therefore, to motivate the development of floating tourism should involve many stakeholders (local people and stallholders, tourists, travel agencies, tour guides, local government and related departments, local tourism association, universities and research institutes, press and broadcasting agencies) in the implementation of various activities (conserving floating markets, providing tourism services, developing tourist products, managing tourist activities, protecting tourist environment, ensuring visitor safe, guiding visitors, promoting destination image, making policy and investing, developing the service staff) 1.2.3.3 Factors affecting the exploitation ability of floating market tourism Floating market tourism is related to many different components and objects, so the ability to exploit it is influenced by the factors: 13 usually quite wide and wide and water is relatively clean and fresh, so they can attract travelers In the Mekong Delta region, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Cai Be, Tra On, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Ba Ngan, Nga Nam and Vinh Thuan floating markets have potentials to exploit tourism based on the river In addition, water also attracts visitors by their ecological, cultural and historical significance Coming to the Mekong Delta, many tourists are looking forward to boating to see Tien river, Hau river; the canals that create the name of Nga Bay, Nga Nam Coming to Cai Be, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Cai Rang, Ba Ngan and Nga Nam floating markets will help visitors to satisfy this demand - Cultural tourism resources Floating markets are attractive to tourists because of: + Goods On the floating markets, people sell many kinds of goods but the most popular and make up the largest proportion of agricultural products In addition, food, beverages, fresh food, essentials, souvenirs, household items, seedlings, petrol, ornamental plants, lottery tickets, etc are also available at this floating market or other floating market Compared to goods in the region, goods on the floating markets are not typical, however, they serve the needs of visiting, dining and shopping of tourists In the floating markets in the region, Cai Rang, Long Xuyen, Nga Nam, Cai Be, Vinh Thuan is the first in terms of volume and variety of goods should be more likely to exploit tourism + Trading activities Trading activities on floating markets in the Mekong Delta regiong show the characteristics of the commercial culture on the river (the means used in trade are boats and shells, rivers are the site for activities The price of agricultural products is cheaper than the market on the shore To trade, different boats will get close to each together; the boating time mooring depend on the purchasing from customers); therefore, it is likely to attract tourists to visit, learn, experience Finding out or hearing about this activity is truly tourists’ expectation Amongst those floating market, Cai Rang, Long Xuyen, Nga Nam, Cai Be and Vinh Thuan have the most active buying and selling activities, so there are many possibilities for tourism operation + Goods hanging form Goods hanging is hanging items for sale on the tree or rope to customers to see Commodities are agricultural products The boat nose is the ideal place to hang the goods Goods hanging is a way of marketing goods in the style of folk but not less unique because it demonstrates the ability to cope with the river environment and the competitive experience of people in the Mekong Delta Moreover, many kinds of goods with different sizes, shapes and colors are hanged on a stick, which creates a beautiful, impressive image Many tourists, especially international visitors, are more interested in the way of goods hanging on the floating markets Except for Cai Nuoc floating market, other floating markets have a way of goods hanging, however, Cai Rang, Long Xuyen, Nga Nam, Cai Be, Vinh Thuan and Chau Doc floating markets are truly the top attractions of goods hanging form 14 + The life of the stallholders The life of the people in the Mekong Delta's floating markets are characterized by unique cultural values that characterize the activities of leveraging and adapting the aquatic environment of the people (popular cooking utensils are gas stoves; river water is commonly used in cooking, drinking, bathing and washing food; worship Ba Cau, Nam Hai Buddha to pray for the trip is advantageous) Because of that, it is one of the attractions for visitors to the floating markets Floating markets are crowded with boats (Cai Rang, Long Xuyen, Nga Nam), they will have more advantages in tourism exploitation because they show the life of the people more lively 2.2.1.3 Infrastructure The Mekong Delta’s floating markets are located close to the center of city, district, town so they make use of a relatively uniform infrastructure network for their development The components of the infrastructure, the road system, the pier/tourist port/wharf, commercial network, communication system, water supply system, power network intensive with the ability to exploit the floating market for tourism - On the road system, national highways and provincial roads through the floating markets are all covered with plastic and the lane is wide enough for the transportation of passenger vehicles with different types of load - The floating market pier, tourist port (Cai Be tourist pier, Ninh Kieu tourist port, Cai Rang tourist boat station) have met the needs of visitors Particularly, environmental sanitation is not guaranteed The wharfs (Tra On, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Nga Nam floating markets) make use of the embankment/ferry space so that only meet the small needs of visitors; the standards of aesthetics, environmental sanitation, the level of convenience in travel is not suitable for tourism operation - At each floating market there is a presence of the market on the shore This commercial network not only meets the needs of eating and shopping but also places tourists can visit, learn about the life, activities, business culture of people and local specialties Other infrastructure elements such as communication system, water supply system and electricity network basically meet the demand of floating market exploitation for tourism 2.2.1.4 The combination with other types of tourism Floating market is one of the forms of tourism of the Mekong Delta so it can not survive isolated types of tourism Types of tourism have been exploited in combination with floating market tourism, including visiting fruit orchards, visiting the trade village, enjoying the singer of the actor, canoeing on the canal, visiting ancient houses, visiting the ethnic village, visiting the churches/temples/monasteries/cathedrals, visiting the stork garden, see the monkey/pig racing/dog racing,… This type of tourism is located in the vicinity of the floating markets and contributes significantly to improving the ability to exploit tourism in many floating markets In the floating markets of the Mekong 15 Delta, Cai Be, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Ba Ngan and Nga Nam floating markets have been exploited on the basis of combination with other forms of tourism in the region 2.2.1.5 Policy on tourism development Up to now, there has been policy solutions to exploit Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets for tourism Main policies focus on: encouraging all economic sectors to participate in tourism business; creating favorable conditions for all economic sectors to invest in tourism development; encouraging the participation of local people; improving staffs’ professional knowledge and skills in tourism; ensuring safety for visitors; promoting and marketing floating market tourism; etc With these policies, will create a motive force for exploring Cai Be and Cai Rang floating market tourism in the future 2.2.2 The current status of tourism activities in floating markets 2.2.2.1 Tourists and total revenue Visitors can be classified into two types of domestic and international International visitors mainly come from Western Europe, Northeast Asia, North America, Australia, and Southeast Asia The majority of domestic visitors come from the Southeast, the Mekong Delta region, the Red River Delta region and the South Central Coast area Currently, due to lack of local statistical interest, we only have visitors to Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets Table 2.7: Arrivals to Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets and the relationship with arrivals of Tien Giang province and Can Tho city (2014-2018) Cai Be Tien % of Cai Răng Can Tho % of floating Giang visitors floating city visitors market province in Cai Be market (arrivals) in Cai (arrivals) (arrivals) floating (arrivals) Răng market floating Year compared market to compared visitors to in Tien visitors Giang in Can province Tho city 2014 129.019 1.426.167 9,05 237.000 1.367.726 17,33 2015 143.020 1.525.129 9,38 272.000 1.619.070 16,80 2016 149.670 1.690.062 8,86 300.000 1.726.531 17,38 2017 164.000 1.850.000 8,86 325.913 2.184.385 14,92 2018 175.030 1.986.345 8,81 375.862 2.658.740 14,14 On average, visitors spend 30 minutes to hours traveling and visiting the floating market In floating markets, visitors often perform some activities such as watching the riverbank, observing the purchase and living activities of trader on the rivers, watching and buying agricultural products, eating, taking photo 16 In general, the floating markets in the Mekong Delta region are exploited based on natural and cultural attractions without any significant investment It is hard for visitors to participate in many activities There are tourists who travel to Cai Be, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Ba Ngan and Nga Nam floating markets The service providers in the Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets usually get the most revenue, while those who provide services in the other floating markets have a less benefit from tourist activities Table 2.8: Tourism revenue of Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets and the relationship with tourism revenue of Tien Giang province and Can Tho city (2014-2018) Tourism Tourism % of Cai Tourism Tourism % of Cai revenue revenue Be revenue revenue Rang of Cai Be of Tien floating of Cai of Can floating floating Giang market Rang Tho city market market province revenue floating (million revenue Year (million (million compared market VND) compared VND) VND) to (million to revenue VND) revenue of Tien of Can Giang Tho city province 2014 9.418 433.509 2,17 10.902 1.169.525 0,93 2015 10.440 531.650 1,96 13.048 1.747.315 0,75 2016 10.925 626.956 1,74 14.430 1.826.167 0,79 2017 11.972 786.081 1,52 21.727 2.897.900 0,75 2018 12.777 964.364 1,32 25.032 3.785.100 0,66 Businessesman, local people in Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets receive income from visitor spending on transportation, guide, dining and shopping services Enterprises and local residents in other floating markets mainly get benefits from traveling, eating and drinking of visitors 2.2.2.2 Technical facilities for tourism At present, Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets have a large touring boat Boats in these two floating markets have large loads, are designed and decorated quite eye-catching, enough to serve groups and guests Apart from these two boats, there are also some boat trips to Phong Dien, Chau Doc and Ba Ngan floating markets To meet retail demand, Cai Rang, Long Xuyen and Nga Nam floating market also have boats Whatever kind of transportation, they all meet the needs of moving and visiting As a result, there is no overloading of visitors and gives visitors different feelings Table 2.4: The number of boats serving tourists in the floating markets Pier / tourist Number of boats Medium load Capacity loaded port, wharf (piece) capacity at the same time (visitor) (visitor) Cai Be 120 boats 13 1.560 17 Cai Rang 138 boats, 14 canoes 16, 2.144, 84 Long Xuyen canoes 10 40 Chau Doc canoes 10 30 Nga Nam 17 canoes 85 At present, the number of eating and shopping establishments in floating markets are very low At Cai Rang floating market, there is a boat for food and shopping, floating rafts serving food, a floating raft for a variety of fruits, a catering establishment Meanwhile, there is only one boat for catering on Cai Be floating market The remaining floating markets not have these facilities Besides, on the floating markets there are visitors to have a few boats selling food and drinks, mainly to serve the needs of individual customers Although the number is not much, but these facilities have been contributing significantly to meet the needs, prolong the visit time and stimulate the spending of visitors 2.2.2.3 Tourism service staff With the total demand for tourism floating market as today, no shortage of labor to meet the travel of tourists The strengths of floating market tourism service staff in the Mekong Delta is rapid in the implementation of services, enthusiastic to help visitors, friendly and hospitable, professional in controlling the means of transport, to serve the visitors in a gentle way However, because of low educational and professional level, the staffs are limited in terms of destination knowledge, tourist psychology and communication arts, demonstration power, emotional management skills, foreign language ability, behavioral culture 2.2.2.4 The participation of local people in tourism At present, local people have been involved in passenger transport (Cai Be, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Ba Ngan, Nga Nam floating markets), providing sightseeing services (Cai Be, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Chau Doc floating markets), selling souvenirs (Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets), providing catering services (Cai Be, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Ba Ngan and Nga Nam floating markets) and shopping (Cai Be, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Ba Ngan, Nga Nam floating markets) for visitors, contributing ideas for exploring floating markets for tourism (Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets), the establishment and operation of the tourism company (Cai Be floating market) Due to the number of visitors to the floating markets and the local interest in floating markets are different, the level of participation of local people in tourism activities is different In general, local people in Cai Rang and Cai Be floating markets are more engaged in tourism activities in terms of quantity and engagement Although local people have been involved in tourism, the benefits of floating market tourism are mainly attributed to tourism companies and transportation providers 2.2.2.5 Order and safety in tourism In the Mekong Delta’s floating market tourism destinations, the begging status is sometimes still taking place at the Ninh Kieu tourism port, where many tourists rent boats for visiting the Cai Rang floating market Rowing tourists to 18 rent means of transport is a popular phenomenon in Ninh Kieu tourism port and occasionally at Cai Be pier, O Moi ferry (where to visit Long Xuyen floating market) and Nga Nam ferry Price challenge is a common trend among service providers in floating markets The State Administration of Culture and Tourism said that about two years ago, there was no theft, fraud and traffic accidents occur in floating markets, adversely affecting the property and the lives of visitors In general, the order and safety situation in the floating market tourism in the Mekong Delta is quite good With the exception of begging, rowing and price challenge must improve, the remaining aspects should be maintained 2.2.2.6 Water environment and scenery at the destination Floating markets of Cai Be, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Nga Nam always have the presence of many types of rubbish Discharged people are stallholders and residents Apart from the stallholders and local residents, tourists are also involved in litter activities in some floating markets with popular tourist activities (Cai Be and Cai Rang) The popularity of garbage reduces the satisfaction of visitors Not only waste on the river, the landscape in one or two banks of river where the floating markets are located (Cai Be, Cai Rang, Long Xuyen, Nga Nam) does not guarantee standards for tourism operations Slum dwellings, old rafts, mudflats and groves, and residential areas of full garbage really are barriers to exploring floating markets for tourism 2.2.2.7 The price of tourism services Tourist services in the Mekong Delta floating markets include sightseeing, dining and shopping Sightseeing services are available at Cai Be, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Ba Ngan and Nga Nam floating markets Catering is also present in the above floating markets Shopping only at Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets The above price of services is relatively high compared to what visitors get The price of services is relatively high compared to the quality of germination of the lack of sustainability in floating market tourism exploitation because high service prices are low demand and vice versa 2.2.2.8 Management and investment from local government for tourism Currently, only tourist activities in Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets are managed, tourism activities in other floating markets are left abandoned Tourism management activities at Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets include planning destination space, developing tourism product, promoting destination image, estimating the number of tourist arrivals and turnover, training for development of tourist staff, managing tourist means of transportation, ensuring security, order and safety for tourists, propagating people to protect the environment, implementing measures to raise awareness of people about tourism, etc In order to promote the socio-economic development in general and tourism in particular, the localities in the region have invested in the building of synchronous road transport system, electricity and water supply network, communication system to the district/town/city, creating favorable conditions for the exploitation of floating markets in service of tourism and attracting investment In order to exploit river tourism in general, floating market tourism in particular, Tien Giang province, Can Tho city and Hau Giang 19 province have invested in the construction of parking lots and tourist wharves to create favorable conditions for visitors to visit the floating markets and other nearby destinations Investment in building projects to promote floating markets, promote tourism, train and foster of tourism service staff, organize workshops to get opinions of people, experts on floating market tourism exploitation, etc which have been implemented for Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets 2.2.3 Case study on exploiting Cai Be and Cai Rang floating market tourism 2.2.3.1 Brief overview about sample study in Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets According to the study area, 194 and 206 visitors were interviewed at Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets, respectively In terms of visitor composition, the sample included 300 domestic travelers and 100 international visitors The sample consisted of 189 men and 190 women, accounting for 47.2% and 47.5%, respectively The remaining 21 tourists, accounting for 5.2%, not provide sex information The mean age of the subjects was 18 and the highest was 67, the mean age was 28.38 Academic/professional level of the varied sample The group of professionals with high school education is 225 people, accounting for 56.2% 99 people have high school education, accounting for 24.8% The average number of visitors in secondary education is 7, accounting for 1.7% The remaining 69 respondents, accounting for 17.2%, not provide information on educational/professional qualifications The study sample is mostly visitors from urban areas with 249 people, accounting for 62.2% The number of visitors coming from rural areas was 103, accounting for 25.8% The remaining 48 visitors accounted for 12% not provide information on the type of residence Domestic visitors of the sample are mainly from the Mekong Delta with 152 visitors accounting for 38% 116 guests occupy 29% of the South East The number of visitors from the South Central Coast, the Central Highlands, the North Central Coast and the Red River Delta is 32, accounting for 8% International visitors of the sample come from a number of countries in descending order of US, UK, Germany, China, Israel, Philippines, Russia, Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan (China) and Thailand 2.2.3.2 Tourism activities of tourists in Cai and Cai Rang Be floating markets Most visitors know Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets thanks to relatives/friends (55.8%) A very significant percentage of travelers know Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets thanks to the Internet (43.2%) Relative to friends/relatives and the Internet, tourism companies played a minor role in promoting information, images of Cai Be and Cai Rang (25.8%) Media such as television (18.5%), guide books (12.5%), newspapers and magazines (11.2%), other media (3%), radio (8%) are also sources of information about Cai Be and Cai Rang for tourists but the role is quite faint 20 For Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets, the coolness and freshness of river atmosphere is the top tourist attraction (58.2%) Three elements of trading activitiy (54%), stallholder’s living and working on the riverside (44%) also motivate many visitors to explore Many visitors to the floating market also need to buy fruit (24.8%) The number of people who came to the floating markets for other purposes accounted for a small proportion (7.5%) Visiting the scenery is the activity of many visitors to Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets (86%) Activities of researching/finding trading ways (52,2%), life and living of stallhholders on the rivers (41,8%), buying and enjoying fruits (38,2%), buying and enjoying food/drinks (36%) are also took by many visitors Meanwhile, other activities were only carried out by a small number of visitors (4.5%) 2.2.3.3 Factors affecting tourism exploitation in Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets The assumtion model of factors affecting exploitation of Cai Be and Cai Rang floating market tourism that includes independent scales and 32 viriables In addition to independent scales, the model has a dependent scale consisting of variable Through the methods of scale reliability, exploratory factor, multivariate linear regression analysis show that the eight factors affecting the floating market tourism exploitation in descending importance are "tourist guides", "service staff on transport means of transportation", "water environment", "price of travel services", "transport system for tourism", “order and safety in tourism", "transport means of transport", "equipment for environmental protection and tourist health" 2.2.3.4 Visitors' assessment on the factors affecting tourism exploitation activities in Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets Most of the factors that affect the tourism exploitation activities in Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets are considered by tourists to be quite good/reasonable, such as tourist guides, prices of travel services , transportation system for tourism, order and safety in tourism, transportation of floating market visit The factor that visitors appreciate at a good level is the staff on the transport of floating market visit Meanwhile, the degree of relative pollution is the assessment of visitors to the river environment in the floating markets 2.2.3.5 The relationship between the attraction of Cai Be floating, Cai Rang floating market with visitors’ satisfaction and expectation Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets are considered by visitors to be quite attractive (4.89/7 points) and this is one of the factors that affects their satisfaction and repeat visit Accordingly, the tourists feel quite satisfied about the trip (5.0/7 points) and intend to return, their intention to recommend the destination is also quite high (4.87/7 and 5.48/7 points, respectively) At 99% confidence (**), the level of appeal of the floating markets have a positive correlation with satisfaction, intended repeat visit and introduction of visitors This means that the higher the attractiveness of floating markets, the greater the ability of introduction to prospects and the number of times visitors return However, the relationship between the degree of attraction of the destinations 21 with the satisfaction and the intention of introducing to the relatives and friends of the visitors is stronger than their intended return 2.2.3.6 The difference in the attractiveness of Cai Be, Cai Rang floating markets and the satisfaction, repeat visit, introduction intention of visitors to the destination Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets are different in terms of attractiveness with 99% confidence According to the tourists, Cai Rang floating market is more attractive Cai Be floating market (5.12/7 and 4.64/7 points, respectively) Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets also have a difference in satisfaction, repeat visit and introduce intention of visitors At 95% confidence, visitors feel satisfied for Cai Rang floating market than Cai Be floating market (5.14/7 and 4.85/7 points, respectively) Intending to return to Cai Rang floating market of tourists higher than Cai Be floating market with 99% confidence and the average value of 5.19/7 and 4.53/7, respectively At significance level of 0.01, 99% confidence, intends to introduce Cai Rang floating market of tourists higher than Cai Be floating market (5.68/7 and 5.26/7 points, respectively) 2.2.4 General assessment on the ability and current status of floating market exploitation for tourism purposes in the Mekong Delta On the basis of analyzing and synthesizing many aspects (location and accessibility, tourism resources, infrastructure, the combination with other types of tourism, tourism development policies) show that Cai Rang, Cai Be, Long Xuyen and Nga Nam floating markets are most likely for tourism exploitation Therefore, in order to invest in a focus, avoid waste of resources, create typical tourism products, develop tourism effectively, the localities should focus on exploiting tourism in Cai Rang, Cai Be, Long Xuyen and Nga Nam floating markets Recently, many floating markets in the region have been invested to exploit tourism or develop tourism spontaneously Whatever tourism development, the exploitation of floating market for tourism in the region has achieved achievements and limitations However, it is difficult to develop floating market tourism in the region quickly and sustainably by limitations many times achievements CHAPTER PRESERVATION AND EXPLOITATION SOLUSIONS OF FLOATING MARKETS FOR TOURISM PURPOSES IN THE MEKONG RIVER DELTA 3.1 THE ORIENTATION TO CONSERVE AND EXPLOIT FLOATING MARKETS FOR THE PURPOSE OF TOURISM OF THE CENTRAL AND LOCAL In terms of floating market conservation, until now, the author has not found any documents at the central level to show the content of floating market conservation in the Mekong Delta region Particularly for the local level, only Can Tho city, Hau Giang and Tien Giang provinces have approved the conservation and promotion projects of the floating market Accordingly, Cai 22 Rang, Ba Ngan and Cai Be floating markets are on the list of floating markets that need to be preserved In terms of exploiting floating markets for tourism, at the central level, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism determined that Cai Rang floating market is one of the main tourist destinations in the western tourism development space in general and Can Tho city in particular; one of the main tourist spots in the tourist development space in the East in general and Tien Giang province in particular is Cai Be floating market At the local level, Cai Be, Tra On, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Long Xuyen, Ba Ngan (Nga Bay), Nga Nam and Ca Mau floating markets are oriented to be one of important tourism products/tourist attractions of Tien Giang province, Vinh Long province, Can Tho city, Long Xuyen city, Hau Giang province, Soc Trang province and Ca Mau province, respectively We believe that every floating market in the Mekong Delta is more or less economically, culturally and socially valued so it should be preserved Particularly for the exploitation of floating markets for tourism, it is necessary to focus on some typical floating markets, capable of attracting tourists, organizing and maintaining tourist activities (Cai Be, Cai Rang and Long Xuyen and Nga Nam) to avoid spreading investment, competing with each other and wasting local and national resources 3.2 STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS TO FLOATING MARKETS AND FLOATING MARKET EXPLOITATION FOR TOURISM Floating market, floating market tourism are the product of natural environment and socio-economic activities, so they always have strengths and weaknesses; at the same time, embrace the opportunities and face the challenges By analyzing the SWOT matrix, the strategies for preserving and exploiting floating markets for tourism are as follows: SO strategies (exploiting floating markets for trade and tourism), ST strategies (conserving floating markets, linking between floating market tourism and other types of tourism), WO strategies (improving infrastructure and technical facilities for tourism, improving tourism service staff quality and tourism knowledge for local people, promoting investment in conservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism), WT strategies (protecting environmenl and improving landscape, constructing policíe for the preservation and exploitation of floating markets in service of tourism, managing tourism service prices, developing tourism products, ensuring security and order for tourists, involving local people participation in tourism and bringing their benefits, strengthening cooperation between stakeholders in the conservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism, enhancing the state management of floating market tourism) 3.3 CONSERVATION AND EXPLOITATION SOLUTIONS OF LOATING MARKETS FOR TOURISM 3.3.1 Background for proposing solutions There are many legal and practical grounds for proposing solutions to preserve and exploit floating markets in service of tourism: laws/decrees/decisions/projects, research in the world and in Vietnam on the floating markets and floating market tourism, research results of authors, recommendations/action plans of many stakeholders 23 3.3.2 Solutions to preserve floating market Based on results of this study, it has identified nine groups of solutions to preserve the floating market in the Mekong Delta as follows: Maintaining and improving purchasing power of local people; (ii) No charge for people in the floating markets; (iii) Ensuring security, order, safety, justice for the stallholders; (iv) Giving people loans at preferential interest rates; (v) Paying attention to the material and spiritual benefits of the stallholders; (vi) Exploiting floating markets in the direction of trade and tourism; (vii) Stabilizing and maintaining the identity of the floating markets; (viii) Attracting local people's participation in buying and selling; (ix) Increasing investment and developing floating market conservation policies In each solution group, the contents of the solution, the problem situation, the specific solutions, the main agency and the coordinating agency are discussed 3.3.3 Solutions to exploite floating markets for tourism To exploit Cai Be, Cai Rang, Long Xuyen and Nga Nam floating markets more effectively, we propose groups of solutions as follows: (i) Involving local people in tourism and bring benefits to them; (ii) Improving the quality of service staff and tourism knowledge for local people; (iii) Protecting the environment and improving the landscape; (iv) Managing price of tourism services; (v) Improving infrastructure and technical facilities; (vi) Ensuring security, order and visitor health; (vii) Diversifying and ensuring the characteristics of tourism products; (viii) Being combined with other types of tourism; (ix) Strengthening the management, investment and policy building for floating market exploitation for tourism In each solution group, the contents of the solution, the problem situation, the specific solutions, the main agency and the coordinating agency are discussed CONLUSION Through the study of the topic "Floating markets and floating market exploitation for tourism purposes in the Mekong Delta" we have some conclusions as follows: Researching floating markets and floating market exploitation for tourism is really necessary because it is in line with the expectations of the society, especially in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam Over the past years, there have been some studies on floating markets and floating market tourism in the world as well as in Vietnam, but the theoretical basis of floating market and floating market toursm; the formation and development of the floating markets in the Mekong Delta; the capacity and status of exploiting floating markets in the Mekong Delta for tourism; solutions for preserving and exploiting floating markets for tourism in the Mekong Delta are still plenty of gaps to be filled Floating market is a form of commercial business on the river, containing unique intangible and tangible cultural values Floating market was formed from a long time (18th-20th century) in the Mekong Delta region due to the combined impact of natural factor (rivers) and socio-economy factors (people, agricultural products, boats, advantages of waterway traffic) Floating market plays an important role for economy, society, culture and is a typical form of mixed tourism resources (natural, cultural) of the Mekong Delta, and 24 therefore, localities that maintain, preserve and exploit floating markets for efficient tourism will bring benefits to the locality in many ways Floating market movement along with the development of the economy and society has been changing the nature and negatively impacting the future of floating markets, and thus, the cultural attraction of floating markets is also reduced and this adversely affects the exploitation of floating markets for tourism of localities that own floating markets Recently, a number of localities in the region have appreciated the role of floating markets and recognized the risk of recession of floating markets, so they start to pay attention to the conservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism In addition to some achievements (increased visitors and revenue, job creation, improving the efficiency of using infrastructure, attracting investment,…), the preservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism in the Mekong Delta are still limited (management, policy, coordination among stakeholders, people's awareness, investment, environmental sanitation, benefit sharing, ) because localities still lack knowledge and experience for the preservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism Each floating market has a certain value in culture and its importance to the economy and society so all of them need to be preserved Particularly, the exploitation of floating markets for tourism should focus only on Cai Rang, Cai Be, Long Xuyen and Nga Nam floating markets to avoid waste of resources, limit self-competition and bring tourists positive experiences Conservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism are not simple tasks as they depend on the goodwill of the objects making the floating markets, the management and operation capacity of the state management agency in charge of tourism, the level of involvement of tourism companies and local people in the development of tourism products, investment and mechanism, policy of local authorities etc Therefore, it is necessary to have the consensus, cooperation, contribution, perseverance of many stakeholders Lack of attention, less management, less investment, lack of policies, less benefits for stallholders and local people, lack of cooperation among stakeholders, etc are barriers to the preservation and exploitation of floating markets for tourism in the Mekong Delta With a variety of approaches, data collection and analysis, this study has built up a scientific basis for floating markets and exploring floating markets for tourism; analyzed the formation and development of floating markets in the Mekong Delta; evaluated the capability and current status of exploiting floating markets for tourism in the Mekong River; proposed solutions for conservation and exploitation of floating markets in the Mekong Delta for tourism The research results not only reflect relatively full aspects of floating markets and floating market exploitation for tourism in terms of geography but also provide important arguments for the localities in implementing the solutions to conserve and exploit floating markets for tourism more effectively ... in the structure of production value In the structure of agricultural production, cultivation always predominates in proportion In terms of industry, the food processing industry occupies the highest... decrease The weight of the service industry is second and tends to increase The least weight in the industry and the upward tendency is the actual state of the industry For agriculture - forestry... On, Cai Rang, Phong Dien, Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, Ba Ngan, Nga Nam, Vinh Thuan, Ca Mau and Cai Nuoc) which belong to administrative units (Can Tho city, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, An Giang, Hau Giang,