Cultural revitalization for tourism development from an Indigenous perspective: the case of Ta Oi people, A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam
IntroductionPreserving and revitalizing culture to ensure authenticity for tourism development is a critical concern, especially as modern societal changes have eroded numerous traditional cultural values. Most local tourism development efforts primarily focus on meeting tourists' demands, ofte...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsut.2025.1510934/full |
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| author | Thu-Suong Thi Nguyen Diem-Huong Thi Phan Diem-Huong Thi Phan Diem-Hang Le Doan Diem-Hang Le Doan Minh-Ngoc Thi Chau Thanh-Thuy Thi (Jessica) Doan Thanh-Thuy Thi (Jessica) Doan |
| author_facet | Thu-Suong Thi Nguyen Diem-Huong Thi Phan Diem-Huong Thi Phan Diem-Hang Le Doan Diem-Hang Le Doan Minh-Ngoc Thi Chau Thanh-Thuy Thi (Jessica) Doan Thanh-Thuy Thi (Jessica) Doan |
| author_sort | Thu-Suong Thi Nguyen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionPreserving and revitalizing culture to ensure authenticity for tourism development is a critical concern, especially as modern societal changes have eroded numerous traditional cultural values. Most local tourism development efforts primarily focus on meeting tourists' demands, often overlooking the perspectives of local communities who practice these unique cultures. This study, grounded in constructivist grounded theory, emphasizes the importance of conducting research from the local perspective to maintain authenticity in cultural preservation and to balance the interests of local people, tourists, and stakeholders.MethodsThe qualitative research method employed included fieldwork and focus group discussions conducted in A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. Fieldwork and participation observations allow to capture information about the research area as well as the experiences and behaviors of the local community. Furthermore, focus groups were conducted with 20 Ta Oi people, divided into two groups: the elderly (aged over 50) and the young people, to gather thorough and various information from their perspective on the meaning and the revitalization of local culture. The data were analyzed thematically.ResultsThe findings reveal that the Ta Oi people have revitalized four key cultural practices through tourism, including Dzeng weaving, traditional landscapes and architecture, traditional cuisine, and traditional art performances, rituals, and beliefs. In addition, cultural revitalization is also mentioned through people's perception of the authority's role and the adjustment of cultural activities toward tourism development. These practices have been adapted to fit the modern context, demonstrating that cultural revitalization is not about restoring traditions in a static form but rather reconstructing them to meet evolving societal and economic demands.DiscussionThe research illustrates the adaptability and creativity of local people in preserving and revitalizing traditional culture, along with their enthusiasm and willingness to take action. Cultural preservation is not a top-down process; instead, it is co-created by the Indigenous community itself, shaped by differing viewpoints between elder and younger generations. This ensures that while cultural traditions may evolve, they are still rooted in the values and identity of the Indigenous people, rendering the cultural revival process both sustainable and meaningful in the context of tourism. The research findings serve as a crucial foundation for guiding local government policies on cultural preservation and tourism development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-16b19b03a3a44835b8761bc6fcf9fad0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2813-2815 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism |
| spelling | doaj-art-16b19b03a3a44835b8761bc6fcf9fad02025-01-29T14:36:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism2813-28152025-01-01410.3389/frsut.2025.15109341510934Cultural revitalization for tourism development from an Indigenous perspective: the case of Ta Oi people, A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue province, VietnamThu-Suong Thi Nguyen0Diem-Huong Thi Phan1Diem-Huong Thi Phan2Diem-Hang Le Doan3Diem-Hang Le Doan4Minh-Ngoc Thi Chau5Thanh-Thuy Thi (Jessica) Doan6Thanh-Thuy Thi (Jessica) Doan7School of Hospitality and Tourism, Hue University, Hue, VietnamSchool of Hospitality and Tourism, Hue University, Hue, VietnamCollege of Indigenous Studies, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, TaiwanSchool of Hospitality and Tourism, Hue University, Hue, VietnamResearch Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, ThailandSchool of Hospitality and Tourism, Hue University, Hue, VietnamSchool of Hospitality and Tourism, Hue University, Hue, VietnamSchool of Hospitality and Tourism, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New ZealandIntroductionPreserving and revitalizing culture to ensure authenticity for tourism development is a critical concern, especially as modern societal changes have eroded numerous traditional cultural values. Most local tourism development efforts primarily focus on meeting tourists' demands, often overlooking the perspectives of local communities who practice these unique cultures. This study, grounded in constructivist grounded theory, emphasizes the importance of conducting research from the local perspective to maintain authenticity in cultural preservation and to balance the interests of local people, tourists, and stakeholders.MethodsThe qualitative research method employed included fieldwork and focus group discussions conducted in A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. Fieldwork and participation observations allow to capture information about the research area as well as the experiences and behaviors of the local community. Furthermore, focus groups were conducted with 20 Ta Oi people, divided into two groups: the elderly (aged over 50) and the young people, to gather thorough and various information from their perspective on the meaning and the revitalization of local culture. The data were analyzed thematically.ResultsThe findings reveal that the Ta Oi people have revitalized four key cultural practices through tourism, including Dzeng weaving, traditional landscapes and architecture, traditional cuisine, and traditional art performances, rituals, and beliefs. In addition, cultural revitalization is also mentioned through people's perception of the authority's role and the adjustment of cultural activities toward tourism development. These practices have been adapted to fit the modern context, demonstrating that cultural revitalization is not about restoring traditions in a static form but rather reconstructing them to meet evolving societal and economic demands.DiscussionThe research illustrates the adaptability and creativity of local people in preserving and revitalizing traditional culture, along with their enthusiasm and willingness to take action. Cultural preservation is not a top-down process; instead, it is co-created by the Indigenous community itself, shaped by differing viewpoints between elder and younger generations. This ensures that while cultural traditions may evolve, they are still rooted in the values and identity of the Indigenous people, rendering the cultural revival process both sustainable and meaningful in the context of tourism. The research findings serve as a crucial foundation for guiding local government policies on cultural preservation and tourism development.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsut.2025.1510934/fullcultural revitalizationIndigenous tourismIndigenous voicesauthenticityconstructivist grounded theoryTa Oi people |
| spellingShingle | Thu-Suong Thi Nguyen Diem-Huong Thi Phan Diem-Huong Thi Phan Diem-Hang Le Doan Diem-Hang Le Doan Minh-Ngoc Thi Chau Thanh-Thuy Thi (Jessica) Doan Thanh-Thuy Thi (Jessica) Doan Cultural revitalization for tourism development from an Indigenous perspective: the case of Ta Oi people, A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism cultural revitalization Indigenous tourism Indigenous voices authenticity constructivist grounded theory Ta Oi people |
| title | Cultural revitalization for tourism development from an Indigenous perspective: the case of Ta Oi people, A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam |
| title_full | Cultural revitalization for tourism development from an Indigenous perspective: the case of Ta Oi people, A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam |
| title_fullStr | Cultural revitalization for tourism development from an Indigenous perspective: the case of Ta Oi people, A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cultural revitalization for tourism development from an Indigenous perspective: the case of Ta Oi people, A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam |
| title_short | Cultural revitalization for tourism development from an Indigenous perspective: the case of Ta Oi people, A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam |
| title_sort | cultural revitalization for tourism development from an indigenous perspective the case of ta oi people a luoi district thua thien hue province vietnam |
| topic | cultural revitalization Indigenous tourism Indigenous voices authenticity constructivist grounded theory Ta Oi people |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsut.2025.1510934/full |
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