Impact of Climate Change to Tourism Sector in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Mekong Delta Region of Vietnam is forecasted to have one of world’s most severe impacts from climate change. There is a big knowledge gap in research on climate change impacts on tourism in this area. While climate change’s impacts on agriculture and fisheries have received much attention from authorities and researchers, impacts on tourism have largely been ignored. This paper presents findings from a field study the authors conducted to fill the research gap on climate change’s impact on tourism in Mekong River Delta. The study based on spatial analysis and questionnaires and interviews of local tourism leaders, tourism businesses and tourists discovered that climate change is a real challenge for region’s tourism businesses. Vulnerable tourism businesses in low and flat delta such as Mekong needs more attention and practical actions from international organizations and local entities in the era of climate change threats.