Tourist Psychology and Sociology: A Case Study of Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An, Vietnam is one of the rising UNESCO World Heritage sites which is getting more popular with the rise of an interest in Asian cities as well as more receptive and positive attitudes of Vietnamese government. Although Hoi An proves to be attractive for tourists due to its ancient center, beaches, village life as well as the mountains and other heritage sites nearby, academic works on Hoi An’s touristic transformation and potential future possibilities are rare. This article aims to fill this gap by analyzing Hoi An as a dynamic touristic site from the psychological and sociological points of view. Among the themes to be explored through such a conceptualization, tourist motivation, personality differences, tourist perceptions, tourist attitudes, the influence of reference groups and word of mouth over Hoi An tourists’ behaviors, family tourism and social group-based tourism for Hoi An, cultural, subcultural and cross-cultural differences among Hoi An tourists and print, social media and in situ advertising about Hoi An would be highly prominent and practical. This case study concludes with a set of recommendations and future directions for Hoi An’s tourism authorities and touristic enterprises.