ADVENTUROUS TOURISM IN VIETNAM AND SOLUTIONS TO PROMOTE
DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATION
MS. Vo Thi Hoai1
Abstract: Vietnam has a mountainous terrain, rivers, a long coastline, and many large and small
island groups that are very suitable for the development of adventure tourism. However, adventure
tourism in Vietnam has not yet developed as expected. There has not been systematic investment
from localities; it is fragmented, spontaneous, lacking safety, and there is a shortage of human
resources to serve tourists, while management remains lax... these are the issues hindering the
development of this tourism sector in Vietnam. With the desire for adventure tourism to make
significant strides in its development process, contributing to the promotion of Vietnam’s tourism
industry to “truly become a spearhead economic sector by 2030, developing towards green
growth; becoming a destination with world-leading development capabilities,” as outlined in the
strategy for the development of Vietnam’s tourism industry in Decision No. 147/QĐ -TTg by the
Prime Minister, this article will focus on analyzing issues such as (i) the potential for adventure
tourism development in Vietnam; (ii) The current situation of adventure tourism includes issues
related to legal matters, human resources, and products; (iii) Based on the analysis of the current
situation, the article proposes several solutions regarding legal improvements, human resource
training orientation, and state management to promote the development of adventure tourism
combined with cultural tourism in Vietnam to meet expectations.
Keywords: Adventure tourism; adventure tour guide; tourism development; cultural tourism.
1. INTRODUCTION
Adventure tourism is no longer a field that is too new and unfamiliar
to travelers who enjoy exploring and pushing their limits. This segment
of tourism caters to a diverse range of travelers, as adventure travel
experiences can vary in difficulty levels, with activities that are rich
1
Faculty of Law - Saigon University. Email: vthoai@sgu.edu.vn
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and span from mountainous regions to coastal areas. In the world,
adventure tourism has always been identified as an important type
of tourism with revenue exceeding 600 million USD (data from 2019).
In this, Europe is a rapidly developing market, contributing over 30%
of revenue and accounting for 11% of total global tourism revenue
(global tourism revenue is 5.8 billion USD). This tourism product is
experiencing the fastest growth in the world, and many countries are
increasingly valuing it because adventure tourism can leverage the
ecological, cultural, and economic advantages of nations. Therefore,
researching to develop this tourism product strategy in a professional
and systematic manner is essential to achieve the goal of “focusing on
developing high-quality, diverse, distinctive tourism products with
high added value and enhancing the experience for tourists based on
the advantages of resources in each region and locality, aligning with
market demands and improving the competitiveness of Vietnamese
tourism,” which Vietnam is aiming for.
2. ADVENTURE TOURISM AND ITS DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL IN VIETNAM
The concept of adventure tourism can be defined differently
depending on the perspective taken. Theo Millington (2001) defines
adventure tourism as a recreational activity organized in a location
far from regular residence, characterized by novelty and wilderness,
combined with high-intensity activities, primarily outdoor activities.
Participants in adventure tourism seek to experience thrills at various
levels of risk, feel excitement, enjoy novelty, and challenge themselves.
According to Phạm Trung Lương (2008), “Adventure tourism is a
type of tourism in relatively pristine natural areas, where travelers
can satisfy their desire to explore the unexpected along with feelings
of being ‘threatened’ by ‘risky’ activities that they had not previously
imagined but willingly accepted to participate in.” In the regulations
of Vietnamese law related to tourism, there is no concept of adventure
tourism; instead, there are provisions regarding “tourism products
that pose a risk to the lives and health of tourists.” Adventure tourism
product groups can be divided into areas such as: aerial adventure
tourism products (traveling by helicopter, paragliding, skydiving…);
ĐÀO TẠO VÀ SỬ DỤNG NGUỒN NHÂN LỰC DU LỊCH VĂN HÓA TRONG BỐI CẢNH HỘI NHẬP QUỐC TẾ688
land adventure tourism products (camping, mountain climbing, hiking,
tightrope walking…); and underwater adventure tourism (kayaking,
waterfall exploration, diving…).
To carry out these adventurous activities, it is evident that they
heavily depend on the natural terrain such as seas, rivers, lakes,
mountains, waterfalls, and caves. Therefore, Vietnam is a country
with many advantages for developing adventure tourism products.
With mountainous terrain covering three-quarters of the area, the
high, steep hills and diverse divisions create unique characteristics,
such as Fansipan Peak, the Mã Pì Lèng area, and the Liang Biang
range... Facilitate the development of adventure activities such as
camping, mountain climbing, rock climbing, and exploration by car,
motorcycle, and mountain biking. Vietnam also has a dense system of
rivers, creating many beautiful caves, numerous nature reserves, and
vast national parks like Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng and Sơn Đoòng Cave...
suitable for activities such as canoeing, rafting, exploring waterfalls,
and experiencing hot springs. The coastline of Vietnam stretches from
North to South, featuring many large and small islands suitable for
activities such as paragliding, helicopter tourism, skydiving, scuba
diving, sailing, windsurfing, and sandboarding... Vietnam’s young
population, with a passion for exploring new things, is an advantage
for the development of the workforce in the adventure tourism sector
as well as for the growth of adventure tourism services. Many travel
companies have focused on organizing adventure tourism products
such as conquering the peaks of Fansipan, Lang Biang, and Bach Ma,
exploring the Prenn Pass, diving programs in Nha Trang, Cu Lao Cham,
Phu Quoc, and Con Dao, mountain biking and sports motorcycling in
Ha Giang, kayaking in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island, as well as water
rope and cable games in Phong Nha - Ke Bang... (Vietnam National
Tourism Administration) and have made a significant impression on
tourists due to the unique landscapes and interesting terrains. Many
adventure tourism activities in Vietnam have established a certain
position in the rankings of global tourism organizations, such as Nha
Trang being listed among the top 10 best diving spots in the world, and
the exploration of Sơn Đoòng Cave being ranked in the top 5 of the 10
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most adventurous and fascinating travel experiences as voted by Dave
TV (UK)...
3. THE CURRENT STATE OF ADVENTURE TOURISM ACTIVITIES IN VIETNAM
Adventure tourism emerged in Vietnam around the 1990s, but it
was not truly popular at that time; it was mainly in the form of eco-
tours and cultural experiences. In recent years, adventure tourism
has been increasingly explored, with several activities making a mark
to promote this product. For example, in 2002, the Vietnam Tourism
Company in Hanoi organized an adventure sports tourism program
called “Raid Gauloises,” which involved over 800 international
tourists from 17 countries and lasted 14 days across 9 provinces in
the northeastern mountainous region of Vietnam, or the conquest of
Fansipan Peak in 2003. In 2004, Saigontourist collaborated with Saffron
Road Tours (Australia) to organize the first motorcycle adventure tour
(ranging from 175 to 750 cc) across Vietnam, named “Saffron Road
Vietnam Tour 2004,” for 19 guests from Australia, the United States,
and Ireland. These can be seen as significant milestones for adventure
tourism in Vietnam, demonstrating the potential of a type of tourism
that has the capacity to grow strongly in the future. However, to
ensure a quality adventure tour, there are many factors that need to
be guaranteed. In addition to the basic services included in any travel
product, such as accommodation, transportation, and dining services...
Adventure tourism also needs to excel in services such as training
services to provide and equip travelers with the basic knowledge and
skills to master the techniques, equipment, and means used. Guided
services with guides meet the need for technical assistance and relief in
emergency situations during the implementation of adventure tourism
programs. Emergency rescue services with appropriate and timely
search and rescue equipment and personnel; Insurance services: to
compensate and provide material support to travelers when they
encounter accidents that affect their health, and even their lives. It can
be said that adventure tourism products are a combination of many
factors, each of which is very important. Therefore, although there are
many natural advantages for developing tourism, adventure tourism
ĐÀO TẠO VÀ SỬ DỤNG NGUỒN NHÂN LỰC DU LỊCH VĂN HÓA TRONG BỐI CẢNH HỘI NHẬP QUỐC TẾ690
in Vietnam still faces numerous issues that need attention and has not
developed to match its potential. Some existing issues that hinder the
breakthrough of adventure tourism include:
(i) Legal regulations on adventure tourism products
In order for a tourism product to develop as expected, the first
factor to consider is the need for a comprehensive and detailed legal
framework. The current situation shows that Vietnam does not yet
have a comprehensive regulation for this model to develop effectively.
Currently, the Tourism Law does not have regulations regarding
adventure tourism products. Decision No. 147/QĐ -TTg dated January
22, 2020, approving the Strategy for the Development of Vietnam’s
Tourism until 2030, does not mention the goal of developing adventure
tourism products. It does mention sports tourism; however, there are
certain differences between sports tourism and adventure tourism.
Sports tourism usually has the main purpose of practicing or cheering for
sports activities such as the Olympics and various sports competitions.
Participants in sports tourism are both athletes and tourists. They can
watch, cheer, or compete in sports and must master the skills of each
sport included in the program, such as walking, cycling, zip-lining,
kayaking, climbing, skydiving, and horse racing (Đỗ Tuyết Ngân, 2015).
Adventure tourism focuses on experiencing, overcoming challenges,
and pushing personal limits. Decree No. 168/2017/NĐ-CP, which details
certain provisions of the Tourism Law, has included adventure tourism
products in this document; however, it refers to them as “tourism
products that pose a risk to the lives and health of tourists.” Although
the legal text does not provide a definition of adventure tourism,
TCVN 12593:2018 specifies the standards and conditions for adventure
tourism guides. This shows that Vietnam lacks consistency in legal
regulations and does not truly prioritize adventure tourism as a travel
product. The new legal regulations are formed from the perspective
of state management activities regarding a tourism operation model
rather than approaching it from the standpoint of a tourism product.
(ii) Regarding the activities of adventure tourism products:
Decree No. 168/NĐ-CP dated December 31, 2017, of the Government.
The detailed regulations of certain provisions of the Tourism Law in