DEVELOPING TOURISM THE COAST AREA OF PHU YEN PROVINCE
IN A SUSTAINABLE DIRECTION
PhD. Student Tran Quoc Nhuan1
Dr. Doan Thi Nhu Hoa, Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngan
MS. Doan Thi My Dung, MS. Truong Thi Thu Thanh2
Abstract: The coastal area of Phu Yen province, including Song Cau town, Tuy An district, Tuy Hoa
city and Dong Hoa town, is considered to have rich resources, favorable for tourism development.
In order for the regional tourism industry to develop into a key economic sector of the province,
it is necessary to develop sustainably. Based on the set of criteria for sustainable tourism
development, the article uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis methods,
survey methods, expert methods, field surveys, interviews, and primary and secondary data
collection to assess the current situation; thereby proposing solutions to develop tourism in area
a sustainable direction. The research results are meaningful references for regional development
policy planning and documents for tourism research.
Keywords: coastal area tourism, Phu Yen
1. INTRODUCTION
Sustainable tourism development is the development of tourism
that simultaneously meets socio-economic and environmental
requirements, ensuring the harmony of interests of the subjects
participating in tourism activities, without harming the ability to meet
future tourism needs (Clause 1, Article 3, Law on Tourism 2017).
The coastal area of Phu Yen province builds and strongly develops
the tourism industry in the direction of integration, quality, and
sustainability; gradually increases the proportion of tourism’s
1
Ho Chi Minh City University of Education.
2
Phu Yen University.
TRAINING AND USING CULTURAL TOURISM HUMAN RESOURCES... 869
contribution to the city’s economic structure, creates conditions to
promote the development of other industries and fields, creating
a foundation for tourism to become a key economic sector by 2030,
making a great contribution to the province’s economy, creating
a driving force to accelerate the economic restructuring towards
sustainable development of industry - services - agriculture.
With that trend, the tourism industry of Phu Yen province in general
and coastal districts - towns - cities in particular need and are urgent
to develop tourism in a sustainable direction to protect resources, the
environment, ensure social equity and stable economic development.
Based on the established criteria, the article “Developing tourism in
Phu Yen province in a sustainable direction” aims to assess the current
situation and propose solutions for sustainable tourism development
in the province.
2. RESEARCH METHOD
The main method is the method of evaluating sustainable tourism
in coastal areas using a set of criteria with a weighted composite scale
combined with the use of qualitative and semi-quantitative methods
to evaluate the current situation of regional tourism development in a
sustainable direction on 3 pillars: economy, society and environment.
The level of sustainability of tourist destinations is expressed by scores
and classified into 3 categories: Very sustainable (RBV), Sustainable
(BV) and Unsustainable (KBV).
The calculated results: the highest overall rating is 147 points, the
lowest overall rating is 49 points and the gap between the ratings is
32.67. Thus, the ratings are divided as follows: Very Sustainable (VS):
114.34 -147 points; Sustainable (S): 81.67 - 114.44 points; Unsustainable
(US): 49 - 81.66 points.
3.1. Selected resource points for evaluation
The article selects 42 typical tourist destinations of the region for
evaluation. Of which, 19 resource sites are ranked as Sustainable (S),
including: Dao Tri Tomb and Temple Historical Site, Nhat Tu Son Island,
Xuan Dai Bay, Hoa Bay, Tram Beach, San Beach, Ganh Da Dia, Mang
ĐÀO TẠO VÀ SỬ DỤNG NGUỒN NHÂN LỰC DU LỊCH VĂN HÓA TRONG BỐI CẢNH HỘI NHẬP QUỐC TẾ870
Lang Church, Xep Beach, Nhan Tower, Khanh Son Pagoda, Phu Yen
Museum, Nghinh Phong Tower Square, Ho Son Park, Bao Lam Pagoda,
Tuy Hoa Beach, Mon Beach - Dien Cape, Vung Ro, Da Bia Mountain
and the remaining 23 resource sites are ranked as unsustainable (US),
including: Long Binh Palace, Hoa Loi Tomb, The site of the battle of
Cu Mong Pass in 1965, Le Thanh Phuong Temple, O Loan Lagoon,
Hon Yen Complex, An Tho Citadel, Go Thi Thung Tunnel, Da Trang
Pagoda, Ganh Den, Thanh Luong Pagoda, Lam Phu Lam, Site of the
1968 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, Ngoc Lang Communal
House, Dong Tac Tomb, Long Thuy Beach, Duong Van Khoa Tomb and
Church, Queo Mountain Relic, Site of typical battles in Deo Ca Pass,
Hiem Mountain Relic, Nguyen Huu Duc Tomb, Site of massacres in
Hoa Hiep Nam Commune, Phu Lac Tomb; no tourist destination has
been ranked as Very Sustainable (VS).
3.2. Set of criteria for assessing sustainable tourism development
Based on the study of the Global Tourism Council’s set of criteria
for sustainable tourism development, 3rd edition, (2016); referring to
the set of criteria for assessing sustainable tourism development by the
group of authors Mai Anh Vu, Ha Thi Bich Hanh (2022) and studying the
practical conditions of Phu Yen province, the set of criteria for assessing
regional sustainable tourism was built with 27 criteria, corresponding
to 3 pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental.
Specifically, the groups of criteria are shown
* Group of economic criteria: includes 11 criteria: (1) Growth rate of
tourism revenue; (2) Growth rate of tourist arrivals; (3) Average length
of stay of tourists; (4) Capacity of using tourism technical facilities;
(5) Diversity of tourism products and tourism services; (6) Quality of
tourism products and services; (7) Reasonable price of goods, products
and services; (8) Level of tourist satisfaction; (9) Average spending
of tourists; (10) Total investment capital for tourism; (11) Structure of
investment capital for tourism.
* Social criteria group: includes 9 criteria: (12) Quantity and quality
of labor resources; (13) Level of job creation for local communities from
tourism; (14) Contribution to hunger eradication and poverty reduction
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and income improvement for local communities; (15) Security and order
developments in the locality when there are tourism activities; (16) The
occurrence of social evils in the locality when there are tourism activities;
(17) Percentage of people informed about tourism project policies or
opinions on planning; (18) Propaganda work to raise awareness of
environmental protection, resource use and tourism development; (19)
Level of satisfaction of local communities with tourism activities; (20)
Investment, restoration and embellishment of relics.
* Environmental criteria group: includes 7 criteria: (21) Percentage
of areas and points with tourism resources planned and invested; (22)
Proportion of tourist attractions that collect and treat waste; (23) Limits
on capacity, intensity of activities and pressure on the environment
at tourist attractions; (24) Environmental quality at tourist areas and
attractions; (25) Tourists are aware of participating in environmental
protection, resource use and tourism development; (26) Local residents
are aware of participating in environmental protection, resource
use and tourism development; (27) Tourism businesses are aware of
participating in environmental protection, resource use and tourism
development.
In the 27 criteria, there are 6 very important criteria identified by
experts with a weight of 3, specifically: 1, 8, 12, 19, 22, and 24. There
are 9 important criteria assigned a weight of 2: 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 13, 18, 21,
and 23. Finally, 12 criteria are assigned a weight of 1, including: 4, 5, 7,
11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 25, 26, and 27. Thus, the method of determining
the weighting levels of these criteria is appropriate for applying in the
author’s research evaluation. (see Table 3.1; 3.2).
(see Table 3.1; 3.2).
Table 3.1. Results of the comprehensive assessment of 09 tourism
resource points in Song Cau town
No Tourist site
(National level) point Rating No Tourist site
(No level) Point Rating
1
Historical site of
Dao Tri Tomb and
Temple
89 Sustain-
able 5Nhat Tu Son
Island 82 Sustain-
able
ĐÀO TẠO VÀ SỬ DỤNG NGUỒN NHÂN LỰC DU LỊCH VĂN HÓA TRONG BỐI CẢNH HỘI NHẬP QUỐC TẾ872
No Tourist site
(National level) point Rating No Tourist site
(No level) Point Rating
Tourist site
(Province level) 6 Xuan Dai Bay 83 Sustain-
able
2 Long Binh Palace 76 KBV 7 Hoa Bay 84 Sustain-
able
3Hoa Loi
Mausoleum 79 KBV 8 Tram Beach 84 Sustain-
able
4
The location of
the battle of Cu
Mong Pass in
1965
75 Unsustain-
able 9 San Beach 82 Sustain-
able
Table 3.2. Evaluation results for 11 resource points
in Tuy An district
No
Tourist site
(National
level)
Point Rating No
Tourist site
(Province
level)
Point Rating
1 Le Thanh
Phuong
Temple
79 Unsustain-
able
7 Hon Yen
Complex
72 Unsus-
tainable
2 O Loan Lagoon 80 Unsustain-
able
8 Mang Lang
Church
89 Sustain-
able
3 White Stone
Pagoda
76 Unsustain-
able
9 Da Dia Reef 77 Unsus-
tainable
4 Da Dia Reeft 98 Sustainable 10 Xep Beach 98 Sustain-
able
5 Thanh An Tho 79 Unsustain-
able
11 Thanh Luong
Pagoda
76 Unsus-
tainable
6 Go Thi Thung
Tunnels
79 Unsustain-
able
Source: Phu Yen Provincial Statistical Office, 2023
Evaluation results according to the criteria set: Of the 11 tourist
destinations, only 3 are classified as sustainable (S): Ganh Da Dia, Mang
Lang Church and Bai Xep; 8 are classified as unsustainable: O Loan
Lagoon, Go Thi Thung Tunnel, Le Thanh Phuong Temple, An Tho
