Spiritual tourism from foreign expert's perspective

So far, local authority has issued supporting policies to develop traditional handicraft villages. This is also big potential for future spiritual tourism.

If you want to develop spiritual tourism, you must understand "Spiritual tourism" is "cultural exchange" among people, lands and nations.

First, the local people themselves respect the culture where the heritage, landscape belongs to, so as visitors experience the culture, and beauty of the people and landscape.

Secondly, local people set series of action to preserve, and maintain the heritage. Spiritual tourism always attaches with environmental, cultural preservation.

Besides, the local people participation in protecting and maintaining the heritage values is very important.

Mr Mason Florence, Executive Director of Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office: Ninh Binh need to attract more foreign tourists.

The most important thing is to attract more and more foreign tourists. To do this, Ninh Binh province pay attention to promote, advertise images, attraction, and beauty of landscapes, sightseeings, unique culture in particularly, the available of brochures; websites in many languages offering an easy access to Vietnam in general, and Ninh Binh province in particular for visitors.

Big advantages of Ninh Binh tourism industry are convenient position, nice landscape, a biggest ancient pagoda in Southeast Asia region, and unique architect of Stone Church Phat Diem…

After visiting some destinations in Ninh Binh, I found that Ninh Binh tourism industry has not fully developed.

The risks of population, urbanization, environment problem threaten Ninh Binh tourism industry if local authority does not havea appropriate policy, management plan to control and conserve these heritages.

Therefore, Ninh Binh province must devise management plan to balance environmental surrounding the heritage while exploiting it to ensure sustainable tourism.

Mr Jose Paz Gestoso, Director, S.A. de Xestion do Plan Xacobeo, Spain. We must monitor visitor behaviour and attitudes ar heritage sites.

If you do it well, I believe, Ninh Binh province sees a bright future of tourism sector. Vietnam is beautiful country. Congratulations!

In my opinion, if you want to develop sustainable tourism, you must control the number of tourists. Ensuring the capacity of visitors does not surpass heritage site, as this do more harm than good.

We must monitor visitor's behavior; local authority must educate and raise awareness of not only local residents about respecting cultural, heritage but also visitors.

Developing tourism is a long term process, not too fast, to guarantee the balance of exploiting heritage and preservation of nature, heritage harmonically.

Management must understand protecting heritage is protecting culture, beauty of each land.

Mr Kai Partale, Tourism Sector Specialist of Environmentally and Socially Responsible tourism capacity development program funded by the EU: Spiritual tourism is combination of many elements to create attractive tourism products.

Spiritual tourism associates with religious element, and other elements as well. Apart from having a grand and beautiful pagoda like Bai Dinh pagoda, you must establish a complex of religious center, recreation areas, services…because apart from viewing, visitors also want to enjoy, and relax during their visit.

Combination of many elements shapes unique tourist product attracting visitors. Spiritual tourism for sustainable development goes with responsible tourism.

Responsible tourism mentions to responsible of all, of managements, authorities, tourist agencies, local people, and tourist. However, the role of local community is the most important, as they understand their heritage the most, and they know how to preserve it in the best way, and they help visitor respect and be responsible to landscape, heritages.

Thanks you for your interview!

By: Nguyen Thuy-Nguyen Thom