ABSTRACT
Explore the travel/tourism possibilities of this exotic yet tourist-friendly country
Vietnam Tourism presents a unique ethnographic-semiotic analysis of some of the most important touristic icons in Vietnamese culture. In addition, it offers a firsthand analysis of many aspects of daily life in Vietnam and a semiotic analysis of Vietnam’s dominant cultural symbols. A twelve-page photo section brings vibrant images of this unique country to life.
Vietnam Tourism also presents an essential overview of what Vietnam has to offer tourists, looking at the exciting possibilities—and the potential pitfalls—of visiting this extraordinary country. Although Vietnam is a Third World country, it has excellent tourism companies and many wonderful sites—from Halong Bay and Hue to extraordinary temples and beautiful beaches. The book paints a vivid portrait of this country’s hidden gems and popular tourist destinations, exploring the problems and possibilities Vietnam faces in developing its tourism industry.
In Vietnam Tourism, you’ll find information that is essential for anyone who needs to be “in the know” about this increasingly popular tourist destination. This reader-friendly book will leave you better informed about:
- the rapid construction of hotels in important tourist sites: there are now hotels of all kinds—from super luxurious ones to middle-range, three-star hotels, down to very primitive hotels—in most of the country’s important tourist venues
- daily life in Vietnam’s teeming cities, in its religious enclaves, and in its unique rural areas
- the meaning and relevance (semiotics) of commonplace objects in Vietnam, including Pho (a traditional soup that is often eaten for breakfast and is found everywhere in the country), conical straw hats, spring rolls, pith helmets, dong (Vietnamese currency), water puppetry, etc.
- important sites that tourists often visit, including the Ho Chi Minh museum, Ha Noi, the Cu Chi Tunnels, the unforgettable Cao Dai Cathedral at Tay Ninh, the Mekong Delta, and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
- images of Vietnam created by travel writers—what the tourist guidebooks have to say, and how they relate to the reality of the author’s personal experience in Vietnam
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter |5 pages
Introduction
part |21 pages
Vietnam as a Tourist Destination—An Analytic Perspective
chapter |12 pages
The Pros and Cons of Vietnam Tourism
chapter |7 pages
The Consumer Culture and Vietnam
part |24 pages
Virtual Vietnam—Imagining Vietnam
chapter |12 pages
Touring Vietnam in Safety and Comfort
part |39 pages
Semiotic Vietnam—Interpreting the Country
part |18 pages
Remembering Vietnam—Back in the United States