Beyond Green Travel: In Vietnam, Emptied Graves Make Room for Mass Tourism

In "Beyond Green Travel," ADVENTURE Global Travel Editor Costas Christ gives an eye-witness account of the ups and downs of ecotourism in dispatches from around the world.

At Vietnam’s China Beach, local villagers must dig out family members' remains from old burial grounds to make way for new resorts.

Over the last 15 years, tourism to Vietnam has grown by more than 1,000 percent, putting it among the fastest growing tourism economies in the world. The U.S. failed to win the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese during the “American War,” as it is referred to here, but tourism seems to be succeeding in doing just that.

Historic towns like Hoi An, which I first visited in 1994 and was taken by the beauty of its narrow streets and ornate wooden bridges, are now lined with handicraft shops, souvenir stores, restaurants, cafes, and tailors (the best in town is “Yaly” on Tran Phu Street, where 15 dollars will buy you a perfectly fitted silk shirt made on site).

Wandering Hoi An's streets, which still retain some of the charm that led to tourism's growth here in the first place, I found most of the local people I spoke with echoing Mrs. Chuong, who sells hand-carved chop sticks in the central market: “Ten years ago we had nothing and today we have jobs from tourism and can raise our families and buy food and clothes for our children.” 

The local view on all this tourism expansion in Hoi An is overwhelmingly positive. But it does come with a price, literally.

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Photograph by Costas Christ

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[Hai]

I am a Vietnamese and the content of the article is very true.This is our tradition to rebury the dead people.Nowadays tourism is growing quickly here and creating jobs for people which is very good for the locals.On the other hand this also makes a contribution in sealing the sorrow of the war.
Thank you author for a good article.
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They do this all though northern Vietnam as the tourist industry is increasing. We recently went on opne of the many Halong Bay Tours and they were doing it there.

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They need help to educate tham about business and protecting their livelihoods.

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This site contains alot of real adventure stuff, there is more to traveling than we know and history can reveil some of it. The graves bare great stories. Kudos

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I'm well aware of the 'difficulties' eco tourism faces there. A beautiful country with amazing people, with such poverty and hope running side by side.

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[Alan @ Anti Snoring Device Ltd]

I spent 6 months in Hoi An in the early 90's, and as you say, it was a quaint little village, so charming, as were it's people. Tourism takes over, and you can't blame the locals for trying to make a living, but it is a shame when those old world charms disappear

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[John Newcombe]

Thanks for such a great post. Having a sister who owned a tourism company in Vietnam, I'm well aware of the 'difficulties' eco tourism faces there. A beautiful country with amazing people, with such poverty and hope running side by side.

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