Title: Pathways to sustainable urban tourism: garden houses in Hue, Vietnam

Authors: Kyoko Kusakabe; Pujan Shrestha; S. Kumar; Khanh Linh Nguyen

Addresses: Gender and Development Studies, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand ' Energy Field of Study, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand ' Energy Field of Study, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand ' Hue City Centre for International Cooperation, 01 Le Hong Phong, Hue City, Vietnam

Abstract: Tourism generates employment and contributes to socio-economic development in many cities. It also consumes resources, generates wastes and emits greenhouse gases (GHGs). Taking Hue City in Vietnam as a case, this paper suggests that the dominant approach to sustainable urban tourism, in the context of climate change, is the amalgamation of low-carbon development options with social responsibilities. GHG emissions estimation helps in understanding the scope and magnitude of the impacts of tourism and in designing mitigation options to achieve low-carbon development. Social considerations such as income-generating opportunities for the poor and stakeholder involvement in the planning process strengthen the technical feasibility of GHG mitigation options. Based on a GHG inventory, stakeholder consultation and surveys of income-generating opportunities, the study recommends development of garden houses as a locally appropriate strategy to enhance tourism, provide jobs for the poor and achieve low-carbon development in Hue City. Gender analysis is also recommended in identifying and implementing such strategies.

Keywords: sustainable urban tourism; garden houses; greenhouse gases; GHG emissions; employment generation; low carbon development; social responsibility; stakeholder involvement; gender; Vietnam; sustainability; climate change; income generation; poverty; urban planning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSOC.2015.071298

International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2015 Vol.7 No.3, pp.286 - 303

Published online: 20 Aug 2015 *

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