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:

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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

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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.


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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 4 million annual visitors, 50% being foreigners (Ha Long,

2012).

Figure 1. 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).


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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 1.

Table 1. 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

1

32

Male

Kinh

2

47

Female

Kinh

3

55

Female

Kinh

4

25

Female

Kinh

5

27

Male

Kinh

6

36

Male

Kinh

7

24

Female

Kinh

8

25

Female

Kinh

9

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 1

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 2 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 &


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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


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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


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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 2. Respondents’ positive perceptions of tourism
Main variables

Sub variables


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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 5 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


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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 do
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 3. 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


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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 4. 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


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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 5. 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


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Pham Hong Long

Long Bay, particularly the negative environmental impacts, they do 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 do 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 6. 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.

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Received June 8, 2014
Revised August 30, 2014
Accepted August 31, 2014