Beyond Tourist Visits: Indirect Tourism Impacts and Pro-Poor Livelihoods in Bao La Bamboo-Rattan Weaving Village, Vietnam

Summary

Tourism is frequently promoted as a pathway for poverty reduction, but the distribution of tourism benefits depends on how local people are connected to the tourism economy. This case examines Bao La, a traditional bamboo-rattan weaving village in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam, where direct visitor expenditure is limited by geographical distance, weak tourism connectivity and a shortage of visitor-oriented facilities. Drawing on a qualitative study based on 21 in-depth interviews, field observation and secondary-document review, the case demonstrates that indirect tourism impacts are more significant than direct impacts for many local households. Tourism-related buyers create demand for bamboo-rattan products used in accommodation, food-service businesses, festivals, exhibitions and souvenir markets. The Bao La bamboo-Rattan Weaving Cooperative plays an intermediary role by organising production, distributing orders, adapting product designs and connecting craft workers to external markets. The case also connects these processes to tourism multiplier effects through backward linkages between tourism and non-tourism sectors, while distinguishing these indirect effects from induced household re-spending and wider dynamic effects such as infrastructure investment and skills development. It therefore invites students to assess not only whether tourism grows, but also how tourism expenditure circulates, who captures value and what institutional arrangements make tourism more inclusive.