“Sustainable tourism development is a long-term endeavor that requires collective community effort. Rather than focusing solely on quantity-driven growth, we should prioritize quality and sustainability,” said Doan Duc Minh, vice dean of the School of Tourism at the University of Economics HCMC (UEH), in an interview with The Saigon Times. Sustainable development is the only path forward The Saigon Times: Overtourism protests have become increasingly common at famous destinations like Barcelona in Spain and Venice in Italy. From a sustainable tourism perspective, how can this phenomenon be explained? Doan Duc Minh: Overtourism is primarily a result of overcrowding at popular destinations. When too many tourists converge on a single location, various problems arise, such as traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and service cost spikes. These issues can severely diminish the quality of life for local residents. Second, excessive tourism can erode the cultural identity of a place. As tourism services expand, traditional cultural values often get overshadowed, and religious and spiritual practices may lose their sacred significance. Third, natural resources also suffer from overexploitation to meet the demands of large tourist numbers, leading to environmental degradation. Similarly, overcrowding at heritage sites can threaten the long-term sustainability of these destinations. Another issue […]