Intangible heritage, and future past of rural Vietnam: a hero’s journey and creative place-making of Yen Tu’s tourism

Abstract

Purpose: This paper aims to look at the future development of new tourism attractions through the visionary project of a leading Vietnamese developer in a remote area of Northern Vietnam in the Quang Ninh province. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing from the theoretical perspective of place-making and the hero’s journey, this paper draws insights from a case study, an interview with two key informants in the private sector and literature review, to generate the drivers that will shape the future of tourism development in Yen Tu. Findings: This paper identifies the visionary hero (leader), intangible heritage and creative place-making as the key drivers that will reconstruct and repackage the past for developing tourism destinations. Originality/value: This paper extends the existing knowledge in the literature about the natural heritage and sacred mountains of Yen Tu, and included creative place-making to gain insights into the future of tourism development in rural areas.