Tourism is increasingly important in Vietnam. For backpackers, culture and nature lovers, beach-lovers and veterans touring the country for a long time, Vietnam has emerged itself as a new tourist destination in South-East Asia and on is now on lists in magazines worldwide. Hotel investors especially the potential of the 3000-kilometer-long coast line and the big cities. The tourism offer has been increasingly diversified. Local and international tour operators offer tours to ethnic minority groups, walking and bicycle tours, kayak trips and multi-country trips in particular in connection with neighboring Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. In addition, thanks to the lift of several movement regulations, foreign tourists have been able to travel freely in the country since 1997.

The economy of Vietnam has transformed from an agrarian to a service economy. More than a third of gross domestic product is generated by services, which include the hotel and catering industry and transportation. The manufacturing and construction (28 percent), agriculture and fisheries (20 percent) and mining (10 percent) have much smaller shares.

Meanwhile, tourism contributes 4.5 percent to gross domestic product (as of 2007). More and more foreign direct investment has been focused on tourism. After the heavy industry and urban development, most foreign investment has been concentrated in tourism, especially in hotel projects .

Tourism in Vietnam has so far brought great benefits to the economy, but it has also contributed to environmental degradation, especially biodiversity deterioration. Thus, the concept of “sustainable development”—development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs—must be factored into tourism development. This consideration is reflected in the term “ecotourism,” which is referred to variously as ecological or environmental tourism, nature or green tourism, sustainable or responsible tourism. Ecotourism involves travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas with the specific object of studying, admiring, and enjoying scenery, plants, and animals, as well as any cultural features found in these areas. It is distinguished from mass or resort tourism by its lower impact on the environment, lower infrastructure requirements, and its role in educating tourists about natural environments and cultural values.

Eco-tourism is in its infancy in Vietnam, yet it has certainly become a buzz word in this present time. Everyone appears to be talking about it - and the media are latching onto the term wholeheartedly. My preliminary observation is that there is a general lack of understanding, in both the local media and tourism industry, of what constitutes an eco-tourism experience, what an eco-tourism venture/initiative entails, and what the underlying rationale for eco-tourism is.

There are many critics of ecotourism, who see it as a form of environmental opportunism that allows continued exploitation of natural environments by mass tourism. Mass tourism cloaked in a green name. Ecotourism is certainly a buzz word, and is becoming as ambiguous as the word ‘natural’ on the supermarket shelf.

Prolonged wars and economic development have claimed large areas of various ecosystems in Vietnam, Yet, there is still a host of remnants, which include a variety of geographical and ecological features: from high mountains to extensive coastline, from rare plants to exclusive animal species. These combinations rapidly become known to both domestic and oversea tourists, suggesting a way for Vietnam to set its tourism industry apart from other countries’ in the region: eco-tourism.

Eco-tourism has been developed in all regions from North to South Vietnam. In the North, Cuc Phuong National Park stands out; in the central, Kon Tum, Quang Binh own their reputation to diversified geography, wildlife animals and vegetation; in the South, Phu Quoc island strikes as a gem with wonderful natural scenery and fine sand beaches. Besides reserving the nature and building the infrastructure to attract more tourists, the state and local governments also aim at foreign investors by providing them with extra incentives, including reduced taxes and one-price policy for land rent and other services at certain regions. For instance, Phu Quoc imposes no import tax on machinery, equipment and materials, allows foreign investors to purchase land or lease long-term, and offers reduction on both corporate and personal income taxes.

With 13,000 floral species and over 15,000 faunal species, three newly discovered big animal species, and a ratio of country/world species of 6.3%, Vietnam has enormous tourism—particularly ecotourism—potential. In fact, since 1986, when Doi Moi (renovation reforms) began the shift from a centrally planned to a socialist-oriented market, or multi-sectoral, economy, tourism has been an sector of primary concern to the government. In May 1995, the prime minister of Vietnam approved a master plan of tourism development for the period 1995-2010. In February 1999, the state decree on tourism was part of the socio-economic development strategy for the period 2001-2010 approved at the IX National Congress of the Party: “Tourism development has become a spearhead economic industry indeed. It is necessary to improve the quality and effectiveness of tourism activities, bringing into full play the natural conditions, and cultural and historical tradition to meet the domestic and international demand for tourism and to catch up with tourism development in the region” (Document of the IX National Congress 2001).

Fully aware of its significance, the government of Vietnam has prioritized ecotourism in its strategy for tourism development to ensure both sustainability and economic benefits. Though ecotourism in Vietnam is at a beginning stage of development, it is expected to grow strongly through support from government and international organizations.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula, Vietnam is a strip of land shaped like the letter ?S?. China borders it to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, the EastSea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south. The country?s total length from north to south is 1,650km. Its width, stretching from east to west, is 600km at the widest point in the north, 400km in the south, and 50km at the narrowest part, ...

General information about Vietnam

Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula, Vietnam is a strip of land shaped like the letter ?S?. China borders it to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, the East Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south. The country?s total length from north to south is 1,650km. Its width, stretching from east to west, is 600km at the widest point in the north, 400km in the south, and 50km at the narrowest ...

Natural conditions

Viet Nam is located in the Eastern part of the Indochina peninsula, bordering China to the North, Laos and Cambodia to the West with a long land border of 4,550 km, and facing the Eastern Sea (South China Sea) and the Pacific to the East and the South. On the map, Viet Nam is an S-shaped long strip of land, stretching from 23?23? to 8?27? North latitude. The country?s total length is 1,650 km from the Northernmost point to the Southernmost ...

Aspects of National development

Viet Nam is located in a region considered a cradle of mankind, one of the earliest agricultural centres practicing wet rice farming, where the stone and revolutions took place. On the basis of development in the time of the Dong Son culture and given the struggle with nature and against aggression, Van Lang State, the first State in Viet Nam was established in the 7th century B.C.

Ethnic groups

Viet Nam is a multi-ethnic country with 54 ethnic groups coexisting peacefully, among which the Kinh people account for 86% of the population. Among ethnic minorities, the most populous are Tay, Thai, Muong, Hoa, Khmer, and Nung with a population of around 1 million each, while the least populous are Brau and Odu with several hundred people each. The Kinh people mainly inhabit in the low land and deltas. The majority of the other 53 ethnic groups are scattered over mountainous areas ...

Culture

Vietnam has an age-long and special culture that is closely attached to the history of the formation and development of the nation.

Political system

Over the past 75 years, the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has been in the vanguard of the struggle for national liberating the country from almost a century of domination by western colonialists and leading the people to total victory in the 30-year resistance war against powerful aggressors. Since the country's the CPV has led the Vietnamese people in carrying out the country's renovation, and

General information about Vietnam's economy

Overview: Viet Nam embarked on the Doi Moi (reform) policy in 1986. Since then, the country has seen dramatic changes, first and foremost in the economic thinking. The economy was replaced by the market economy; national and were initiated together with the policy of and of external economic relations, openness and integration. The Doi Moi process helped Vietnam rapidly escape hunger and poverty and lay the initial foundation for an economy, as well as ...

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