Cultural Values: A Key Tool for Enhancing Tourism Development
Cultural tourism has been a lucrative source of revenue for countries like Thailand, where the traditional Songkran festival alone generated approximately US$550 million in tourism activities. Following suit, the Republic of Korea has developed two tourism products, Hanokstay and Templestay, allowing tourists to experience staying in traditional houses and pagodas, respectively. By doing so, the country aims to promote its traditional cultural values to the world while boosting local economic development. Similarly, France, a popular tourist destination with about 90 million visitors annually, has constructed a hotel inside the UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage site, the Palace of Versailles. This luxury hotel offers visitors a unique and opulent experience at the historic site. Vietnam, in possession of a rich cultural heritage, also recognizes the potential of cultural tourism. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has identified cultural tourism as one of the key...