Tourism in Vietnam
A Periodisation of the Development of Vietnam’s Tourism Accommodation since the Open Door Policy
Wantanee Suntikul 1*, Richard Butler 2 and David Airey 3
1
School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
2
Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Strathclyde, UK
3
School of Management, University of Surrey, UK
This paper proposes that the development of the tourism accommodation sector in Vietnam, since the inauguration of the open door policy within the reform programme of doi moi, can be divided into five periods. This periodisation is based on a study and analysis of the evolving roles of accommodation providers in Vietnam tourism and the shifting patterns of state-owned enterprises, foreign direct investment and private businesses / SMEs in this sector. Each period, and each transition between consecutive periods, is investigated in terms of the dynamics of interrelations between public, private and foreign operators, and the interaction of the accommodation sector with other political, social and economic factors in Vietnam during this era of transition. The paper concludes by identifying factors and trends that best characterise the evolution of Vietnam’s tourism accommodation sector over the last two decades.
Key Words: Tourism accommodation, tourism development, doi moi, Vietnam tourism, open door policy
*
E-mail: wantanee@gmail.com
1
Introduction
The doi moi or “Renovation” programme of political and economic reforms was introduced by the Vietnamese Congress in 1986. This policy decentralised aspects of governance and planning and streamlined the government bureaucracy. Reforms were enacted to promote the private sector as an economic driver, and to permit state and privately-owned industries to trade directly in foreign and international markets. Doi moi has been extremely successful in transforming Vietnam from a stagnant, unstable, centrally planned Soviet-style economy to a
Wantanee Suntikul 1*, Richard Butler 2 and David Airey 3
1
School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
2
Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Strathclyde, UK
3
School of Management, University of Surrey, UK
This paper proposes that the development of the tourism accommodation sector in Vietnam, since the inauguration of the open door policy within the reform programme of doi moi, can be divided into five periods. This periodisation is based on a study and analysis of the evolving roles of accommodation providers in Vietnam tourism and the shifting patterns of state-owned enterprises, foreign direct investment and private businesses / SMEs in this sector. Each period, and each transition between consecutive periods, is investigated in terms of the dynamics of interrelations between public, private and foreign operators, and the interaction of the accommodation sector with other political, social and economic factors in Vietnam during this era of transition. The paper concludes by identifying factors and trends that best characterise the evolution of Vietnam’s tourism accommodation sector over the last two decades.
Key Words: Tourism accommodation, tourism development, doi moi, Vietnam tourism, open door policy
*
E-mail: wantanee@gmail.com
1
Introduction
The doi moi or “Renovation” programme of political and economic reforms was introduced by the Vietnamese Congress in 1986. This policy decentralised aspects of governance and planning and streamlined the government bureaucracy. Reforms were enacted to promote the private sector as an economic driver, and to permit state and privately-owned industries to trade directly in foreign and international markets. Doi moi has been extremely successful in transforming Vietnam from a stagnant, unstable, centrally planned Soviet-style economy to a
References: http://www.vneconomy.com.vn/eng/?param=article&catid=12&id=9778ec005774 e3 John, K. D. (2006, October 12). Vietnam opens wide to tourism. Asia Times. Retrieved January 18, 2007, from http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/HJ12Ae02.html Kokko, A