Can Tourism Promote Inclusive Growth? Supply Chains, Ownership and Employment in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Tourism growth in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, has not yet delivered inclusive economic benefits to local communities despite its rapid development. The study finds that current tourism-led growth does not align with the World Bank's inclusive growth paradigm, characterized by reduced poverty and inequality through economic linkages, supply chains, ownership, and employment. While tourism has expanded, partial benefits have been unevenly distributed, raising questions about whether more inclusive outcomes are possible in the near future. The research employs fieldwork to analyze supply chain dynamics, economic leakage, ownership structures, and employment patterns, providing a critical assessment of tourism's role in sustainable development.

Hampton, M. P., Jeyacheya, J., & Long, P. H. (2017). Can Tourism Promote Inclusive Growth? Supply Chains, Ownership and Employment in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. The Journal of Development Studies, 54(2), 359–376. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2017.1296572