Heritage conservation and tourism: the present and future of the past

ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the symbiosis of heritage conservation and tourism development at a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) cultural heritage site, one of the most popular touristic sites in Vietnam. Bui, Le and Jones present findings derived from a longitudinal study over 5 years spanning before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (from 2016 to 2020). Although Hoi An has dramatically benefited from mass tourism, the excessive increase in visitor numbers and concentration in the core heritage zone of the city has negatively impacted the economic wealth of the residents of the ancient town. COVID-19 halted the development of tourism, which attracts attention to the overdependence of the city on tourism, and offers an opportunity for administrators to rethink and revise Hoi An's existing tourism policies.