Tourism threatens heritage assets

25 Aug 2014  2035 | World Travel News

HANOI Tourism experts in Vietnam are warning the government that too much tourism could lower the quality of heritage locations and even lead to their destruction.
Scientific Union for Sustainable Tourism Development director, Nguyen Thu Hanh, said the trend was to allow tourism to exploit natural and heritage assets without considering the risk of assets being depleted, or irreparably damaged.
“I feel regret when I see heritage sites downgraded and their value reduced by tourism,” he said.
The director added: “We inherit a treasure of intangible heritage from our ancestors, but we don’t always use it carefully and effectively to gain the best benefit… people often exploit heritage to serve tourism, but ignore or fail to understand the need for conservation.”
She said natural heritage was often not promoted properly and often damaged by overuse.
“The development of tourism and the lack of urban planning that has resulted in hotels with conflicting architecture that undermines the heritage space especially mangrove forests and sensitive coastal environment.”
Vietnam Folk Arts Association chairman, To Ngoc Thanh, said he was upset when don ca tai tu (talented instrumental music and singing), an accepted part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, are used to entertain tourists while they eat.
“Tour managers often arrange for tourists to enjoy the performance during a meal. While instrumentalists and songstresses perform their talent and try to introduce the beauty of the musical heritage, tourists eat and talk to each other without respect for the performers.”

sourced:ttrweely.com

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