Measuring resident place attachment in a World Cultural Heritage tourism context: the case of Hoi An (Vietnam)

Local residents in Hoi An Ancient Town, Vietnam, exhibit strong and positive place attachment to their World Cultural Heritage site, shaped by dimensions of emotional affinity (place affect), identity (place identity), and reliance on the heritage for well-being (place dependence). This finding highlights how UNESCO designation fosters deep connections between residents and their cultural environment. The study developed a scalable measurement tool using semi-structured interviews with 38 participants followed by a survey of 405 residents, offering insights into the role of heritage status in structuring resident-tourist dynamics.

Hoang, T. D. T., Brown, G., & Kim, A. K. J. (2020). Measuring resident place attachment in a World Cultural Heritage tourism context: the case of Hoi An (Vietnam). Current Issues in Tourism, 23(16), 2059–2075. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1751091