From the Highlands to the Global Stage 

The research project “Outdoor Tourism and the Changing Cultural Narratives in Vietnamese Ethnic Minority Communities”, funded by The British Academy, has been selected to present at the British Academy Festival of Ideas – one of the most prestigious academic events in the United Kingdom.

The 2.5-year project brings together researchers from VinUniversity, Vietnam National University, and the University of Cumbria (UK), alongside community collaborators from the Hmong, Muong, Giay, Dao, and Tày communities across Sa Pa, Mu Cang Chai, and Đa Bac. Leading the project from Vietnam are Dr. Tran Hoai (Director of Heritage Studies and Lecturer, Vietnam National University; Director of Research, UNESCO Chair Vietnam) and Dr. Myles Lynch (Lecturer, College of Arts and Sciences, VinUniversity; Research Scientist, UNESCO Chair Vietnam). The VinUniversity research team also includes Mr. Tran Phuoc Lam Huy (Director of Education, UNESCO Chair Vietnam), alongside student researchers and research assistants from the College of Business and Management and the College of Arts and Sciences at both VinUniversity and Vietnam National University. They are joined by the University of Cumbria team led by Principal Investigator Dr. Jamie McPhie, together with Dr. Lisa Fenton and Dr. David Clarke.

The project investigates how outdoor tourism is shaping the cultural narratives, sense of place, worldviews, and community identities of ethnic minority peoples in Vietnam’s northern mountainous regions.

As tourism expands rapidly across Vietnam’s northern highlands, questions of sustainability and equity have become increasingly urgent: who is truly benefiting, and what cultural values are being lost in the process? This project was built on the belief that sustainable tourism can only be achieved when local communities are not merely involved, but placed at the center of every decision. This approach is increasingly prioritized by international organizations and governments in their responsible tourism development strategies.

Reflecting on the project, Dr. Tran Hoai shared: “Our team emphasizes that tourism is not a one-directional force, but a process of meaning-making, power negotiation, and transformation of everyday life. The project was born out of concern that many indigenous knowledge systems are gradually being assimilated or lost under the pressure of majority culture.”

From this foundation, the research team adopted a community-centered participatory approach, empowering local people to become co-researchers rather than subjects of study. Through the narrative photovoice methodology, community members themselves picked up cameras, documented their own lived experiences, and worked alongside the research team to shape the stories shared with the world.

That journey has passed through several meaningful milestones:

• The villages of northern Vietnam – where research was conducted together with communities in Sa Pa, Mù Cang Chải, and Đà Bắc.

• 29-31 March 2026 – Virginia Beach, USA – Research findings were presented at the Northeast Recreation Research Symposium (NERR), North America’s leading scientific forum on outdoor recreation and natural environment research.

• 30 May – 12 June 2026 – Hanoi, Vietnam – The exhibition “Highland Tourism: Community Stories of Change” opened free of charge at Complex 01, Tây Sơn Street, drawing over 200 guests and receiving coverage in Nhân Dân newspaper.
• 19-20 June 2026 – London, United Kingdom – Public research exhibition at the British Academy Festival of Ideas – one of the most prestigious academic events in the United Kingdom.

At VinUniversity, research goes beyond the classroom.

Faculty, research associates, and students have gone into the field together – listening to communities and bringing authentic stories into scholarship with genuine global reach.

If you are a researcher or student passionate about culture, sustainable tourism, or community-based research methodologies – this is the environment where your work can matter.

👉 Learn more about this project: https://vnort.com/