Strategy Development from Triangulated Viewpoints for a Fast Growing Destination Toward Sustainable Tourism Development – A Case Of Phu Quoc Islands in Vietnam

Abstract

The tourism industry is widely acknowledged as the crucial influencer to the rapid and significant development of the current world and becomes one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the world. Vietnam - a developing country and Phu Quoc island of Kien Giang Province in Vietnam own the great potentials and invaluable resources for tourism development. Nonetheless, Phu Quoc tourism has been also encountering difficulties and facing with several hidden drawbacks by its rapidly fast growth. The general objective of this study is to develop the strategies for tourism development towards sustainable tourism development. The triangulation research method is employed which consists of the secondary and primary data. Secondary data relies on vast sources. Primary data is the results of the surveys by questionnaires with 230 local residents, 150 businesses, and 530 tourists. Furthermore, primary data gains from the semi-structured and in-depth interviews conducted in Phu Quoc with local residents, businesses, tourists, local authorities’ officers, and especially with 12 experts. All of the surveyed data was processed with SWOT and IPA analyses. The results of the study will be useful sources for the Phu Quoc tourism development practice.