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Three University of Cumbria researchers are involved in a British Academy-funded research project examining outdoor tourism and shifting cultural narratives in Vietnamese ethnic minority communities, particularly in the Northern Highlands, a mountainous region in the north-west of Vietnam.
The project is led by an international, interdisciplinary team including Associate Professor Jamie Mcphie, Dr Lisa Fenton, and Dr David A.G. Clarke, affiliated with our Human Nature Relations thematic groups at University of Cumbria's Centre for National Parks & Protected Areas.
The methodology involves facilitating community-driven research that centres local perspectives and knowledge. Research participants will contribute via 'photovoice' methodology: team member Dr Myles Lynch (Vin University) explains that photographs by local people serve as "a concrete tool to help share their stories and descriptions of events and activities".
Shifting worldviews and Community Based Tourism (CBT) form key research topics for this project. While CBT theoretically empowers communities to manage tourism while preserving cultural and environmental heritage, Dr Tran Hoai (Vietnam National University) notes significant implementation variations. The current research examines these variations in relation to evolving worldviews throughout Northern Highland communities and their implications for sustainable tourism practices.
Further information: see the project Facebook page for research team reflections, photographs, and videos and more.
Image: Some of the extended project team, trekking near Sa Pa, Vietnam
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