VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL STUDENTS RESEARCH REPORT SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT BASED ON DOMESTIC VISITORS' BEHAVIORS: A CASE OF '10 RELIGIOUS ATTRACTI
Introduction
The necessity of research project
With the continuous development of the economy, spiritual tourism has become an essential activity in people’s recreation The previous literature review summarizes the current research status on sustainable tourism and the impact of domestic tourists’ behavior on religious attractions The monitoring and evaluation research of sustainable tourism development indicators is still in its infancy, and the trade-offs and synergies among sustainable tourism development indicators are also complex Therefore, this study focuses on the degree of coordinated development of religious attractions in Vietnam from the following aspects of the behavior of domestic tourists Hence, 10 religious attractions in Vietnam as the study area and use data on tourism development between 2022 and 2024 to study domestic tourists’ behavior on tourism development, aiming to provide a reference for decision-making on tourism development in Vietnam’s religious attractions.
Research Objectives and Scope
In Vietnam, there are not many studies using multiple indicators related to spiritual tourism under the sustainable development goals Therefore, the relationship between, sustainable tourism development and domestic tourists’ behavior is examined in the case of 10 religious attractions in Vietnam The destinations have been carefully selected as follows:
- Ba Chua Su Temple - Chau Doc, An Giang
- Ba Den Pagoda - Tay Ninh
- Bai Dinh Pagoda - Ninh Binh
- Statue of Guanyin Buddha - Huong Thuy, Thua Thien Hue
- Truc Lam Zen Monastery - Da Lat
- Yen Tu Mountain - Quang Ninh
- Ba Chua Kho Temple - Bac Ninh
- Truc Lam Zen Monastery - Vinh Phuc
From the behaviors, behavioral satisfaction, and travel needs of tourists are clarified and from there, the relationship between consumers' travel behavior and the decision to return and thereby create a conclusion can be concluded out the relationship to the sustainability of tourists
Therefore, the research questions are:
● What does spiritual tourism mean in Vietnam? What is the effect of spiritual tourism on economic sustainability in Vietnam?
● How do domestic tourists’ behavior and revisit intention affect on spiritual tourism based on the 10 religious attractions in Vietnam?
● How does domestic tourists’ behavior affect sustainable tourism development?
Research Methods
The research group uses quantitative methods to collect and analyze data from online survey questionnaires via Google form, from 15/2/2024 to 15/3/2024 The survey questionnaire was divided into 3 sections: Socio-demographic information about the participants; Their behaviors; Intention to return
During data analysis, use descriptive statistical methods to analyze demographic data such as distribution by gender, age, education level, occupation, and marital status Use independent variable analysis to determine the relationship between demographic factors and spiritual travel behavior and the possibility of return Linear regression analysis to identify factors affecting the frequency of participating in spiritual tourism, evaluating the experience, and the possibility of return
We refer to reputable scientific articles with similar topics to build a survey questionnaire and make reasonable improvements to the tourism industry environment in Vietnam
We used Stata 14 software to analyze the obtained data and find the results of this research.
Literature review
Sustainable tourism, sustainability in Vietnam's tourism
Sustainable tourism, as defined by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), prioritizes the present needs of travelers and local communities while preserving and enhancing opportunities for future tourism development This approach emphasizes three fundamental pillars: economics, society, and the environment The concept of sustainable tourism emerged at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and has since gained recognition and application by numerous international organizations such as the WTO, UNEP, and UNWTO.
The demand for sustainable tourism is increasing from tourists and stakeholders Many countries and regions have developed strategies and policies for sustainable tourism development International non-governmental and governmental organizations also actively promote sustainable tourism through programs, projects, and support activities (Doan, 2019)
The tourism industry in Vietnam is growing rapidly, but there are still many limitations regarding sustainability Some issues include environmental pollution, excessive exploitation of natural resources, and impacts on local culture Vietnam possesses great potential for sustainable tourism development: rich cultural heritage, diverse natural landscapes, and friendly people The Vietnamese government has committed to developing sustainable tourism and has implemented various supportive policies (Thanh, 2023)
Increasing awareness among stakeholders about sustainable tourism, establishing and applying sustainable tourism standards, and enhancing investment in infrastructure and human resources are directions that the Vietnamese tourism industry needs to focus on for sustainable tourism development (Bui, 2023) Sustainable tourism is an inevitable trend for the global tourism industry and Vietnam Developing sustainable tourism requires the cooperation of stakeholders: government, businesses, local communities, and tourists.
Spiritual tourism
Spiritual tourism is part of the tourism sector, a broader scope that includes both natural and cultural tourism Before we further define spiritual tourism, it is necessary to understand the definition of the concept of spirituality Spirituality can be understood as a journey of self-discovery, the pursuit of higher desires, or the search for the divine More specifically, it involves aspects of religion, behavior, emotions, or thoughts that seek transcendence (Shah Rukh Khalid and Barktiar Ali, 2023) Spiritual tourism includes visiting sacred sites, participating in or observing religious ceremonies, and pilgrimages to fulfill religious obligations It is more abstract than religious tourism, as it is not limited to religious activities but also includes spiritual, cultural, and historical experiences (Ali Heidari et al, 2018)
2.2.2 Impact of spiritual tourism on sustainability
The impact of spiritual tourism is not limited to providing religious experiences but also opens a new door in the field of education and human awareness When visiting spiritual sites, visitors are not only exposed to the teachings and ethics of the religion they follow but are also imparted with faith and broad knowledge about people and culture and environment During sermons at spiritual sites, believers are often taught about human values such as benevolence, retribution, and ethical living (Samdhinimocanasūta, 1994) These lessons are not only meaningful in forming personal faith but also positively influence the behavior and thoughts of visitors As a result, after a spiritual trip, many people return with a more responsible spirit and more concern for the community and surrounding environment (Sirirat, 2019)
Spiritual tourism destinations not only bring economic benefits but also have profound impacts on local communities and the social environment Attracting millions of tourists to visit spiritual destinations every year creates great demand for services and human resources in the tourism industry, thereby creating significant employment opportunities for residents The development of spiritual tourism helps reduce poverty rates and promote local economic development while reducing urbanization pressure in big cities (Sirirat, 2019) For a specific example, at Perfume Pagoda in Hanoi, Vietnam, the profession of ferry and boat driving has become an indispensable part of the local community Under the government's sponsorship, this profession has been planned and made more secure, thereby creating favorable conditions for the development of spiritual tourism Each boatman plays an important role as a tour guide while ensuring safety and an enjoyable experience for tourists (vietnamtourism, 2017)
Although spiritual tourism brings many benefits, it also causes environmental and cultural problems The rapid growth of tourist numbers can pollute the environment and destroy spiritual relics In addition, the influence of religious forces can lead to superstitious behaviors
All over the world, spirituality always accompanies every person and has become an indispensable part of life in human development From the impacts of spiritual tourism, sustainable tourism at spiritual destinations is also enhanced and meets the criteria of sustainability This influence contributes to the preservation of the site's spiritual heritage, the environment, and the economy and protects the return potential of tourists.
Tourist behaviors
Tourist satisfaction is a response or choice that comes after feeling or thinking (Bigne et al., 2001) Stated otherwise, the reaction is related to a particular concentration Oliver (1997) argues that "satisfaction" in the context of consumer marketing refers to a consumer's fulfillment reaction However, as noted by Baker and Crompton (2000), gap variables include the social and psychological aspects of each tourist, such as their expression, behavior, and demands, as well as external surroundings, like the climate and social group interactions, that influence visitors' level of pleasure
Emotions might arise from comparisons between a product's actual performance or outcome and expectations (Kotler & Keller, 2016) According to Ranjanthran and Mohammed (2010), satisfaction broadly refers to one's emotional state and way of thinking following the experience of an opportunity There is a positive association between the quality of the tourist experience at the destination and overall visitor satisfaction (Tribe and Snaith, 1998; Lee, 2007)
Tourist satisfaction influences travelers' preferences for destinations, consumption patterns, and intention to return (Suh & Youjae, 2006) According to Chen and Tsai
(2007), post-visit behavior refers to a visitor's assessment of the likelihood that they will return to the same location or whether they would suggest it to others Recurrence, referrals, and positive word-of-mouth are examples of how tourists behave either during or after their stay (Baker and Crompton, 2000) Customer loyalty may be measured by repeat business, referrals, and spreading good word of mouth—all of which are crucial for any kind of business Most marketers think that one of the most essential measures of a marketing strategy's success is customer loyalty, and this notion also applies to travel-related products (Lee, 2009)
As a result, travelers' inclination to return and their readiness to suggest travel destinations are indicators of their behavioral intentions and loyalty The desire of travelers to return to a certain location is known as their intention to revisit (Szymanski and Henard, 2001).
Theoretical framework
H1: Spiritual identity impacts on the tourist’ satisfaction
Place identity encompasses feelings arising from the interaction between an individual's perception of themselves and their environment, as well as self- identification It represents the relationship between a person's identity and their environment and consists of both emotional and cognitive elements (Ramkissoon et al.,
2013) Regarding tourists, place identity reveals their self-identified symbolic relationship to a location (Cifci, 2021) The phrase was first used by Haq and Medhekar
(2019) to describe the act of traveling domestically or abroad to see sites of worship such as churches, mosques, and temples In addition, they offer ways to satisfy the need for forgiveness, inner serenity, and gratitude to the Almighty by utilizing natural settings including forests, lakes, oceans, spiritual gardens, botanical gardens, wildlife parks, and caverns The influencing and the personal are the two lenses through which Cutler and Carmichael (2010) examine the aspects of spiritual tourism Within the personal domain, internal variables include perception, emotion, knowledge, memory, and self-identity The purposes of spiritual tourists may be different, but they all have the same starting point of having reverence/belief in a supernatural force associated with a certain cultural and religious space Visitors' experiences in sacred spaces will likely bring many important meanings such as raising awareness, understanding or increasing self-confidence Moreover, through spiritual tourism activities, tourists also have the expectation of improving their mental and physical strength After the Covid-
Mental health heavily influences tourism, as tourists are often drawn to spiritual destinations due to their religious or spiritual significance According to Nyaupane et al (2015), tourists with strong religious beliefs tend to experience greater satisfaction and attraction towards sacred places This is attributed to the cognitive commitment and fulfillment of faith obligations that tourists undertake during pilgrimages or spiritual rituals.
H2: Spiritual dependence impacts on the tourist’ behavioral satisfaction
Place dependence reflects an individual's connection to a location that fulfills their needs and aspirations It emphasizes the functional aspects of a place that distinguish it from others and enables the fulfillment of specific goals This connection is influenced by experiences with environmental factors, both internal and external Social, physical, and product-service attributes shape place dependence, affecting tourist motivations and satisfaction Travel intentions are influenced by perceived safety and psychological risks, while spiritual cultural tourism resources significantly contribute to tourist satisfaction in destinations offering such experiences.
H3: Tourist satisfaction impacts on the destination revisit intention
Tourists' desire to tell their friends and family about their experiences is referred to as their willingness to recommend, or word-of-mouth communication (Maxham III,
Tourist satisfaction is a crucial determinant of their future behavioral intentions, such as returning to destinations, providing recommendations, and expressing positive sentiments Research across diverse settings, including nature-based recreational areas, island destinations, and historical tourism experiences, has consistently demonstrated a positive correlation between satisfaction and behavioral intentions This relationship has been observed among various tourist segments, including students and Muslims.
2012), foreign leisure travelers (Khuong and Ha, 2014), festival goers (Lee and Hsu,
2013), and domestic travelers visiting nearby natural tourist sites (Kwenye and Freimund, 2016) all exhibit a positive direct relationship between satisfaction and destination loyalty
H4: Revisit intention of tourists positively affect the sustainability of spiritual tourism
The potential for tourists to return creates sustainability in spiritual tourism, or it forms a loop where satisfied tourists tend to revisit their favorite destinations multiple times (Bang and Si, 2023) The return of tourists creates a positive cycle in which spiritual tourism sites maintain sustainability and development Tourist returns generate stable revenue, create employment opportunities for local communities, and contribute to the economic development of the region When spiritual sites contribute economically to provinces and cities, governments and local communities are motivated to invest in infrastructure, services, and personnel Furthermore, to maintain the landscape, governments and communities must jointly protect the cultural and environmental values of the destination At this point, the government will implement solutions that include raising awareness through education, and the locals themselves will become tourists in the future The decision of tourists to return and stay longer may reflect a higher awareness of the spiritual, humanistic, and scenic values of the tourist destination They often choose spiritual tourism destinations where they are satisfied with the services and experiences, creating a cycle in which tourists and spiritual tourism sites interact and reinforce each other
Social exchange theory has emphasized the long-term relationship between tourists, communities, and spiritual destinations It is one of the leading theories in social behavior research (Rashid, 2020) It is observed that individuals' behavior includes exchanging benefits and depending on each other's benefits (Rashid, 2020) The theory establishes the relationship between the benefits and costs of economic and social activities (HASSAN et al., 2022) Benefits are often associated with economic exchanges between individuals and communities, such as tourism and economic activities (Mazón et al., 2009) In this case, tourists seek to experience spirituality and culture from tourist destinations, while tourist destinations aim to attract and retain tourists to sustain economic activities and development.
Data collection
Study subject characteristics
This research table provides insight into the characteristics of the research subjects in this topic
In the age group, most research subjects were between the ages of 18 and 35, accounting for 89.63% of the total The distribution between men and women does not have a statistically significant difference (p-value = 0.240)
When considering marital status, most research subjects were single (90.2%) The distribution between men and women in marital status did not reach statistical significance with a p-value of 0.070
Regarding the number of children in the family, most subjects have no children or only one child (88.76%) The distribution between men and women has no significant difference (p-value = 0.790)
Regarding educational level, most subjects have a university degree or higher (90.75%) There is no statistically significant difference between men and women in educational level (p-value = 0.450)
When considering careers, students comprise the largest proportion of the total (80.35%) There is a significant difference in occupation between men and women (p-value < 0.001)
Regarding belief in religion or belief, the majority of research subjects believe in religion or belief (74.93%) The distribution between men and women in this belief is statistically significant (p-value < 0.001)
The study identifies 10 prominent spiritual tourism destinations in Vietnam: Ba Chua Su Temple, Ba Den Pagoda, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Hung Temple, Statue of Guanyin Buddha, Truc Lam Zen Monastery (Da Lat), Huong Pagoda, Yen Tu Mountain, Ba Chua Kho Temple, and Truc Lam Zen Monastery (Vinh Phuc) The majority of visitors explored 1-2 of these destinations (60.23%), with no notable gender disparity (p-value = 0.993).
Regarding the frequency of participating in spiritual tourism during the year, the majority of people participate once a year (55.04%) There is no significant difference between men and women (p-value = 0.731)
Finally, regarding the amount of money spent on each trip to spiritual places, the majority spent less than 1,000,000 VND (50.14%) There is no significant difference between men and women (p-value = 0.369)
In summary, the detailed results of each variable on this research table provide detailed information and a clear reflection on the characteristics of research subjects in the field of spiritual tourism, thereby helping to gain a deeper understanding of this group and providing specific analysis.
Overall experience of Vietnam domestic tourists at the religious attractions
Table 2: Difficulties and obstacles that domestic tourists encountered at spiritual sites
In Table 2, the difficult factors affecting the overall tourist experience have been specifically analyzed The factor "Crowd, loud noise" (P value = 0.194 > 0.05) is therefore not statistically significant and does not impact the overall tourist experience
The factor “difficulty communicating with staff or local people” (P value 0.02* < 0.05) is therefore statistically significant, and it affects the overall experience of tourists at these 10 spiritual tourism sites The difficulty in communicating with staff at the destination/local people has become a challenge for tourists in Vietnam, possibly due to the lack of empathy between the staff/local people and domestic tourists Tourism activities involve interactions among individuals, groups, and communities with diverse worldviews, lifestyles, beliefs, religions, customs, and traditions (ANH, nd) Over time, the psychological reactions and attitudes of local authorities and residents towards tourists may gradually shift from positive to negative or vice versa (ANH, nd) The rapid increase in tourist flow leads to a decrease in enthusiasm Additionally, difficulty in communicating with staff also results in pilgrimages lacking information, being delayed, or tourists might be misunderstood as disrespecting the spiritual and religious culture at the spiritual tourism sites (ANH, nd) Each staff member or local is considered responsible for their behavior, responsible for helping tourists understand more about the tourism destination, acting as ambassadors for the tourist destination, creating a comfortable atmosphere for tourists, capable of presenting, protecting, preserving, and explaining the environment and culture at the spiritual destination (Dung & Cảnh 2023) Therefore, the communication difficulty reduces the ability to fully participate in activities at the spiritual tourism destination and directly impacts the overall experience
Limited access to facilities and services significantly affects the tourist experience (p-value = 0.043) Factors contributing to this limitation include managerial challenges, maintenance issues, inappropriate commercialization, and a lack of support services for spiritual sites Additionally, limited access extends beyond temples and relics to include accommodation, dining, hygiene, and entertainment services Accommodation constraints and inadequate waste management systems further contribute to this issue, particularly during times of high tourist influx.
Tourism infrastructure and services significantly impact tourist satisfaction, as evidenced by Hypothesis 3 This hypothesis highlights that unmet needs for infrastructure and services can diminish the overall tourist experience Thus, it can be inferred that addressing these needs is crucial for enhancing tourist satisfaction and ensuring their positive experiences.
Finally, the factor 'accessing and moving to difficult locations' (P value 0.8>0.05) has no statistical significance and also does not impact the overall experience of tourists at the 10 spiritual destinations
Table 3 Improvements or additions of domestic tourists which they recommend to enhance the spiritual tourism experience in Vietnam
In Table 3, suggestions for improvements or additions to enhance the spiritual tourism experience in Vietnam have been mentioned to explain the overall experiences of tourists For the factor “improving infrastructure”, P-value = 0.8 > 0.05 This indicates that the 'improving infrastructure' suggestion has no statistical significance and does not impact the tourist experience."
Next, the P value = 0.072 > 0.05 for the suggestion “building more spiritual centers”,
P value = 0.1 > 0.05 for the suggestion “improving the quality of tour guides”, P value
= 0.4 > 0.05 for the suggestion “diversifying spiritual tourism packages”, P value = 0.8
> 0.05 for the suggestion “promoting conservation and sustainable development of spiritual tourism sites”, and finally “creating additional marketing programs to enhance awareness and interest in spiritual tourism” with a P value of 0.1 These are suggestions that do not have statistical significance, indicating that these proposals from tourists at the 10 spiritual sites do not impact their overall experience."
Table 4 Activities of domestic tourists at the spiritual tourism destination
In Table 4, the data for activities at these spiritual sites have been analyzed as follows The factor 'prayer or meditation' has a P value = 0.0278*