COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY IN THE LANG CO LAGOON AREA OF VIETNAM
Vol. 134 No. 3D (2025), Original Article
Vol. 134 No. 3D (2025)

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY IN THE LANG CO LAGOON AREA OF VIETNAM

Original Article
https://doi.org/10.26459/hueunijard.v134i3D.8101
Published 2025-10-27
Cao Thi Thuyet
University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University, 102 Phung Hung St., Hue city, Vietnam
Truong Van Tuyen
University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University, 102 Phung Hung St., Hue city, Vietnam
Ho Le Phi Khanh
University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University, 102 Phung Hung St., Hue city, Vietnam
Nguyen Ngoc Truyen
University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University, 102 Phung Hung St., Hue city, Vietnam

Abstract

This study aims to assess the role, perceptions, and level of community participation in the sustainable development of tourism in the Lang Co Lagoon area of Vietnam. A single–case study research design was employed, and data were collected from 66 participants, including 60 local households and 6 management officers. The results reveal that tourism has improved household income, helping local residents reduce their dependence on traditional fisheries, diversify income sources, and enhance awareness of environmental protection and resource conservation within the lagoon ecosystem. Local people participate in tourism activities at multiple levels: directly (tour services, homestays, transportation), indirectly (supplying seafood and goods), and through community–based initiatives (environmental protection, cultural promotion). However, tourism has also generated new challenges, such as plastic waste pollution, encroachment on lagoon spaces, inequality in benefit sharing, and weak coordination among stakeholders. The findings provide empirical evidence for developing a sustainable tourism model that links livelihood improvement with ecological conservation in the coastal–lagoon regions of Central Vietnam.

https://doi.org/10.26459/hueunijard.v134i3D.8101
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