ASSESSMENT OF THE PARTICIPATION OF THE COMMUNITY TOURISM ACTIVITIES IN MU CANG CHAI (YEN BAI)

Abstract

In recent years, Mu Cang Chai is an attractive destination attracting tourists. However, tourism development has not been commensurate with its potential, local communities' awareness and participation in tourism activities are limited in quantity and quality, and community life has not been improved. The study assesses the level of participation of the local community in tourism activities in order to attract the participation of the community, contributing to the development of local tourism. The author uses the method of information collection, the sociological investigation by the questionnaire, and synthetic assessment based on the 7-level scale of Pretty (1995). Survey results from 350 people participating in tourism activities show that the community's participation and understanding in tourism activities are still low, although the participants are mostly young laborers. However, their education level is not high, and tourism has not brought many socio-economic benefits to the community. Besides, the people have not been empowered in tourism activities. Therefore, it is necessary to have solutions to increase the participation of the community in tourism activities, contribute to hunger eradication and poverty reduction, and promote tourism to become a key economic sector of Mu Cang Chai district.