Tangible Cultural Valuation: Data-driven Policy Implications for Trang An World Heritage Site

A groundbreaking study quantifies the economic value of tangible cultural heritage at Vietnam's Trang An Landscape Complex, revealing that visitors are willing to pay up to VND 730,000 (domestic) and USD 26.6 (international) per visit to conserve historically significant monuments like the Dinh-Le Temples. Using a combination of Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) and fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), researchers estimated the total annual value of Trang An's cultural assets at over VND 1,940 billion (USD 278 million). The findings highlight income, prior knowledge, visit frequency, and conservation participation as key drivers of willingness to pay. This data-driven approach offers actionable insights for policies that balance heritage preservation with sustainable economic growth, positioning Trang An's cultural assets as engines for development.

Minh Huan, D., Dat, L. Q., Han Tran, T., & Ha, N. T. V. (2026). Tangible Cultural Valuation: Data-driven Policy Implications for Trang An World Heritage Site. Sage Open, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440261431561