Vietnam Tourism (Hardcover)

Foreword (Ross K. Dowling) Preface Acknowledgments Introduction A Note on Ethnography The Design of the Book Why People Become Tourists: Uses and Gratifications PART I: VIETNAM AS A TOURIST DESTINATION—AN ANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE Chapter 1. The Pros and Cons of Vietnam Tourism Statistics on Tourism in Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia Visitors in Vietnam by Country in 2001 Some Problems of Vietnams Tourism Industry Benefits of Vietnam As a Tourist Destination Chapter 2. The Consumer Culture and Vietnam Tourism and Consumer Cultures: The Grid-Group Typology Consumer Cultures and Tourist Choices Travel Preferences in Vietnam and Cultural Alignments About Imaging, Interpreting, and Remembering Vietnam PART II: VIRTUAL VIETNAM—IMAGINING VIETNAM Chapter 3. Vietnam: Image and Reality Vietnam As an Imagined Place Pico Iyers Picture of Saigon and Hanoi Two Writers on the Vietnamese Passion for Food The Vietnam War Chapter 4. Touring Vietnam in Safety and Comfort Logistics TF Handspan Group Tour Itinerary Annie, Thu, and Problems with Names Adventure Wear and Magic Glasses: I Go High Tech Teaching the Vietnamese About American Culture Escaping with Ones Life While Touring Vietnam A Rainbow the Day We Leave On the Matter of Vietnams Appeal for Tourists PART III: SEMIOTIC VIETNAM—INTERPRETING THE COUNTRY Chapter 5. Understanding Vietnam: Culture and Geography Scholarly Approaches to Studying Foreign Cultures The Ideas of Roland Barthes Quoc Ngu: The Vietnamese Written Language The Cao Dai Cathedral at Tay Ninh Sapa and the Hill-Tribe Girls The Mekong Delta Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon Chapter 6. Exploring Vietnams Culture: Food and Entertainment Pho Nuoc Mam (Fish Sauce) Vietnamese Metal Coffee Pots Spring Rolls Non La (Conical Hats) Ao Dai: The Traditional Vietnamese Costume for Women Ho Chi Minhs Body General Giap: The Snow-Covered Volcano Green Pith Helmets Cu Chi Tunnels CD Cafés Dong and Dollars Roi Nuoc (Water Puppets) PART IV: REMEMBERING VIETNAM—BACK IN THE UNITED STATES Chapter 7. Reflections on Touring Vietnam A Jumble of Memories The Actual Vietnam versus the Virtual Vietnam Street Cultures and House Cultures An Age-Old Question Chapter 8. Conclusion The Tourist As Stranger in a Strange Land A Final Word Bibliography Index Reference Notes Included