NEW FINDINGS OF THE DISSERTATION
- The dissertation systematizes and clarifies the theoretical foundation of sustainable community-based tourism development, including concepts, characteristics, principles of sustainable development, evaluation criteria, and factors affecting sustainable community-based tourism development. Based on previous studies and the three-pillar approach of economic, social, and environmental sustainability, the dissertation develops an analytical framework suitable for assessing the level of sustainable community-based tourism development in the mountainous, coastal, and island localities of Quang Ninh Province.
- Through surveys of households participating in community-based tourism activities, managers, tourism enterprises, and tourists in the study areas, the dissertation comprehensively analyzes and evaluates the current state of community-based tourism development in Quang Ninh Province. The findings indicate that community-based tourism has contributed to job creation, income generation for local residents, rural economic restructuring, and the preservation of traditional cultural values of ethnic minority communities and indigenous residents.
- From an economic perspective, the study reveals that community-based tourism has become an important supplementary livelihood source for residents in localities such as Binh Lieu, Ba Che, Van Don, Co To, and other community-based tourism destinations in Quang Ninh Province. Income generated from accommodation services, local cuisine, experiential guiding activities, and the sale of local products has helped improve household income, create local employment opportunities, and reduce labor migration pressure.
- From a social perspective, the dissertation confirms that the development of community-based tourism has enhanced community awareness of preserving traditional cultural values, revitalized festivals, traditional crafts, and indigenous cultural practices. At the same time, local residents’ participation in tourism activities has increased, strengthening community cohesion and enhancing the position of local people in the tourism development process. However, the study also identifies risks of cultural commercialization and unequal benefit distribution among household groups.
- From an environmental perspective, the findings show that most community-based tourism destinations have achieved positive improvements in landscape conservation, waste management, and environmental awareness among local communities. Nevertheless, several localities still face challenges such as tourism-related waste pressure, localized pollution during peak seasons, and limitations in environmental treatment infrastructure, which may affect the long-term sustainability of destinations.
- The dissertation also identifies and quantifies the influence of different groups of factors on sustainable community-based tourism development in Quang Ninh Province. The results indicate that significant factors include: local community participation; governmental support mechanisms and policies; tourism human resource quality; infrastructure and technical facilities; stakeholder linkages; tourism resource conservation activities; and destination promotion and marketing capacity. These findings are consistent with the stakeholder approach to sustainable community-based tourism development.
- Based on the research findings, the dissertation proposes a comprehensive system of solutions to promote sustainable community-based tourism development in the localities of Quang Ninh Province through three key groups of measures: (i) economic solutions to enhance livelihood effectiveness and the competitiveness of community-based tourism products; (ii) social solutions to preserve cultural identity and strengthen community participation; and (iii) environmental solutions to protect resources, landscapes, and improve environmental quality. In addition, the dissertation proposes supporting measures related to policy mechanisms, human resource development, digital transformation, and stakeholder collaboration to ensure the sustainable development of community-based tourism in the coming years.
PRACTICAL APPLICABILITY
The research findings presented in Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of the dissertation serve as valuable reference materials for lecturers, researchers, research institutes, and students in the fields of Economics in general and Economic Management in particular.
The findings presented in Chapters 4 and 5 provide valuable references for policymakers, government agencies, departments, and organizations involved in policy formulation and implementation at the local level. They can serve as an important basis for Quang Ninh Province in developing solutions and policies aimed at promoting the sustainable development of community-based tourism in localities across the province in the coming years.
ISSUES REQUIRING FURTHER RESEARCH
First, further research is needed to refine and improve the system of indicators used to evaluate sustainable community-based tourism development, particularly in the context of digital transformation and climate change. Second, more in-depth studies are required on stakeholder participation mechanisms and benefit-sharing arrangements to ensure equity and enhance the effectiveness of community-based tourism governance. Third, future research should explore community-based tourism models that can adapt to emerging tourism trends, integrate innovation and digital technologies, and improve resilience to economic, social, and environmental changes.
