Building A Tourism Community: Design for Hon Thom, Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Abstract

Host communities are not only supporters of the tourism industry but also providers of distinctive cultures; this is an interesting fact that is often overlooked in tourism design. Lacking considerations for existing populations, conventional approach disintegrates residents from tourism developments. As an alternative, this thesis argues that tourism design should have more focus on building upon existing communities, strengthening their cultural identities, and articulating the spatial integration of tourists and residents. The recent success of AirBnB and Urbanauts proves that successful integration of tourists within an existing social fabric is not only possible but also economical. By allocating accommodations evenly around the city, tourists' spending is distributed to the local community and surrounding neighborhoods. Added to this is the successful integration of tourists into three historical communities, which are popular destinations in East Asia. This thesis explores the spatial patterns that contribute to the success of these three case studies, and incorporates the findings into a new spatial program for a tourism community. The final product is a design proposal for a new tourism community on Thorn Island in the district of Phu Qyoc, Vietnam. The design successfully addresses the needs of existing residents by improving the social and physical infrastructures in retrospect to the current living condition and local ecologies. Adapting the traditional tube house typology, the design also strengthens the cultural identity of the host community by regenerating vernacular architectural traditions. Furthermore, the design effectively integrates tourists and residents using a spatial hierarchy to accommodate both these groups' differing needs for moving about the city.