Procedimiento de la intervención

Along with the three major causes as analyzed in the previous sections, the researcher will analyze the system of infrastructure in Quang Nam province. The researcher‟s conducted survey has shown that the uncompleted state of infrastructure system is identified as one of the main problems for the development of Cultural Heritage Tourism in Quang Nam in last few years. The Table 7.15 indicates the situation of infrastructure system in Quang Nam province, of which it includes the system of land transport, railway transport, water/sea transport and air transport, the supply of electricity, fresh water, water drainage, solid waste settlement, and communication in both urban and rural areas.

The Table 7.16 summarizes the findings done by the researcher through the field works with the application of methodological methods, of which the quality of infrastructure system is assessed at different level of good, medium and weak. Through the table, we can see that the systems of land and railway transport and communication are good only in the urban area but still not really good in the rural area. In terms of the water/sea transport and the air transport, both of these two kinds of transport are still in medium level situation. Regarding the electricity supply, the electricity supply at the factories and line network in urban and rural area are also put in medium level. Meanwhile, the supply of fresh water at the factories/pipe lines and the water quality/prices are put at medium level in urban area but at weak level in rural area. Similarly, the system of solid waste settlement is rather good in the urban area but is very weak in the rural area. The system of water drainage is considered as the worst problem because the systems of water drainage and stations/settlement factory are still weak in both urban and rural areas. Therefore, it is essential to confirm that Quang Nam has still many difficulties and challenges for its system of infrastructure.

Table 7.16: Infrastructure Situation in Quang Nam Province

No. Infrastructure Types Explanations Urban Rural

1. Transport Infrastructure Land Transport ▪ ▫

Railway Transport ▪ availability of infrastructure system such as land road, sea and river ways, airway, railways, post and telecommunication, power supply, water supply, health care, banking and insurance services, the quality of infrastructure system has not been yet really ensured because of the insufficiency of investment capitals as well as the continuously heavy damages of natural disaster and the like. The Table 7.17 presents the situation of road transport in Quang Nam. Through the table, we can see that Quang Nam has a total length of 8835.6 km, of which the national route is 465.8 km, occupying 5.27 percent; the provincial route is 465.1 km, occupying 5.26 percent; the urban road is 191.0 km, occupying 2.16 percent, the village road is 4388.6 km, occupying 49.66 percent and the remaining roads are 3325 km. In the total length of roads in Quang Nam, there are 2299.6 km (equivalent to 36.2 percent) constructed with cement and asphalt concrete, and the roads with soil surface are 3707.8 km (equivalent to 58.33 percent).

In general, considering technical aspects and quality, the network of land roads in Quang Nam has still been very weak. As explained by the interviewees, the low quality of infrastructure is due to the lack of investment capital. The poor infrastructure situation has brought about a lot of difficulties and challenges for Quang Nam province‟s socio-economic development, especially for its close connection of transportation within and outside the province. Moreover, as complained by both tourist operators and visitors, a poor infrastructure will pose many difficulties for their travel and transportation of cargos as well as affect their travelling time, costs, and their safety.

Table 7.17: Situation of Road Transport in Quang Nam Province

No. Types of road transport Length (km) Percentage (%)

1. National route 465.8 5.27

Based on the literature review, the researcher has learnt that Quang Nam has a total of 179 lines of district and intra-city roads with a total length of 1150.5 km. Of which district roads are 1001 km and the intra-city roads are 149.5 km. There are 282.1 km (occupying 24.5 percent) of roads with cement concrete, asphalt concrete and asphalt structure; and 136.6km (occupying 11.9 percent) with macadam structure and remaining 731.8km (occupying 63.3 percent) with soil roads (source: Quang Nam’s PPC). As explained by the tourist operators, most of district roads are still in very bad condition and tourist operators are often worried about the difficulties in bringing visitors to the remote districts for visiting the cultural heritages destinations with historic relics, revolutionary and wars remains, ethnic minority groups, museums, natural landscapes, and so on.

Meanwhile, the visitors want to save their travel time to have more time to stay over and to discover the tourism destinations where they have arrived. The public officials added further that in Quang Nam, there have had twenty nine (29) communes, in which the network of car roads has a total length of 306 km connecting it with the commune centres that has not yet developed. In reality, the researcher has observed that the network of roads has been bad. As mentioned above, Quang Nam has a total of 16 cities and districts, of which there are eight (8) mountainous districts. The accessibility by land roads from the city centre of the province (Tam Ky city) to the remote districts is really difficult for the local people and the visitor, who want to travel to the mountainous areas for visiting purposes. The tourist operators have also complained about the present situation of land transport system in the province that affects the visitors‟ travelling time to the tourist destinations in the districts. As discussed by the public officials, the poor situation of land road system is considered as the main reason that has impeded the process of socio-economic development in Quang Nam, although over the past years, the local authorities has made many essential investments in repairing the old roads and in constructing new roads. According to the interviewees, because of its complicated geographic location given with big slope, the network of transportation has been therefore considerably affected, particularly the network of road transport. Additionally, the expenses for road construction investment have not yet met the practical requirements.

Also, given the result of study survey, the researcher has learnt that the network of other transportation such as water ways (river way and sea way) and airway has not yet been sufficiently invested as well. The capacity of river way transportation in Quang Nam has been actually low (occupying approximately 25-30 percent of transported goods volume of the province). Among the main reasons are: due to the current is being narrow, water is being dry due to deposit, infrastructure of boat stations is poor, and investments into river way are still limited. Regarding the seaway, as explained by the public officials, the seaport of Ky Ha plays an important role in the Chu Lai Economic Zone. The seaport functions as a post for transporting cargos but not for tourists. Despite the port has been repaired and expanded, it has reached a revenue from 258 million Vietnam dongs in 2002 up to 31.6 billion VND in 2010. The cargos transported at the sea port have increased by 669.98 thousand tons in 2009. In general, the seaport of Ky Ha in Quang Nam has not yet developed properly both in

cargos transport but also in tourist transport. In terms of airway, Quang Nam has an airport of Chu Lai, but at present, this airport has not yet been reinvested adequately.

Besides an analysis of infrastructure system (road transport, water transport, and air transport), the problems from other kinds of infrastructure system, e.g. network of water, electricity supply, water waste drainage, solid waste settlement in Quang Nam are also analyzed by the researcher. Given the literature review, the researcher has identified that the good supply of water has been invested in the urban areas but not in the rural areas. At present, some problems are still available: for example, the capacity of waterworks have not yet been developed because of the small network; the situation of salt-intruded underground water in dry season has been lasted; the situation of pollution is mainly made by the close position of hydroelectric plant; and the uncontrolled exploitation of mineral resources.

7.3.5. Cultural Heritage Tourism Facilities and Services

As we know, the technical material facilities of Cultural Heritage Tourism are considered as one of the most important components of tourist products, and a selection criteria from the visitors. As explained in the Chapter two, the technical tourist material facilities are factors which creates uniqueness, difference of the tourist products, forming a unique image for a tourist destination. Given the literature review, in recent years, along with a quick increase of visitors, the system of tourism facilities and services in Quang Nam province has been quickly developed. Based on the socio-economic situation report of the province in 2010: the system of tourism industry facilities has been invested in and remarkably improved, of which the whole province has so far one hundred and five (105) accommodation establishments with over four thousands (4000) rooms and eighty eight (88) hotels with three thousands four hundred and sixty three (3463) rooms which are ranked by one to five star level.

Furthermore, additional services such as restaurants, coffee-shops, bars, fast-food shops served for the requirements in eating and drinking, relaxation, conferences, exchanges of visitors living in hotels have been increased during the last time to satisfy the visitors‟ needs. Furthermore, the sites of entertainment such as tennis courses, sauna, swimming pools, parks, and entertainment centres have been gradually invested with a hope of expanding the tourists‟ stay time, increasing revenues for the tourism industry as well as creating jobs for the local people. Comparing to year 2009, the visitors in the locality increased by 14.6%, the total number of tourists was 2.4 million people, of which international visitors were one million people. Given the statistics, in a total of tourists‟ expenditure, there were 32% for transportation means occupying a highest level, 22% for accommodation establishments, and less than 17% for eating and drinking, shopping, souvenirs.

According to the public officials from the Quang Nam Province‟s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, there are presently seventeen (17) travelling business enterprises in the whole province, of which it includes three international travelling business agencies, two domestic travelling business

agencies, twelve transport business agencies. In 2005, there were more than 800 cars served for the passenger transportation in the province (source: Quang Nam’s DoCST).

However, aside from an increase of Cultural Heritage Tourism facilities and services in quantity, the quality of facilities and services are not yet ensured. According to the interviewees, apart from a small number of standardized accommodation establishments of 4 to 5-star hotels, the remaining stay establishments (hotels and guesthouses, inn) have not yet met the requirements of tourists regarding the conditions of rooms, foods and drinks, and additional tourist services. They further explained that besides the visits of historic and cultural buildings, the visitors needed to enjoy recreational activities; however such recreational sites in Quang Nam have still been inadequated.

In terms of accommodation and restaurants, the researcher has identified that most of hotels and hostels are mainly located in the two cities of Hoi An and Tam Ky and only a few in the other districts. This has obstructed visitors who want to go to the remote districts and has the desire to stay over for discovering the places. In addition, along with a small number of standardized hotels, the quality of rooms, hygiene of foods and drinks, reception, tour guide in the remaining hotels and hostels are not good. As complained by the tourist operators the investment capital for their facilities and services are still inadequated and their employees are not well trained. They expressed their desires to access the borrowing loans from the local authorities through banks to improve their establishments and to obtain the policies of support given by the local government for developing their business works. They also hope to participate into training courses in developing Cultural Heritage Tourism to improve their capacity building in tourism business management for their personnel and themselves.

Furthermore, the entertainment sites for tourists are not given with appropriate investments.

The researcher‟s conducted survey has shown that tourists often complained about the insufficiency of recreational centres such as bars, casinos, discotheques, entertainment centres, parks, shopping centre, and so forth in Quang Nam province. As a result, this has considerably affected to the tourists‟

stay time and their expenditures in Quang Nam. Therefore, incomes for the local people and revenues for the local government from the tourists will be reduced. Given the results of study survey, the researcher has also found out that the market of souvenirs in Quang Nam is not really diversified.

According to the tourist operators, the tourist products like souvenirs should have more variety and are created with a depth of culture. This will attract the tourists‟ interests in spending their money in souvenirs. Moreover, they explained that the tourist products should also demonstrate strongly the cultural characteristics of the locality, and should be sustainable and therefore tourists will buy souvenirs to give their friends as a nice gift or even they can exhibit these products in their house as an interesting trip souvenir. Generally, tourists have not yet seen the values of spiritual culture inside the souvenirs and this is the reason why the tourists‟ expenses in souvenirs in Quang Nam are not really high, occupying only a rate of seventeen percent (17%) in their total expenditure.

Different from Hoi An and Tam Ky cities, Duy Xuyen district is quiet for tourism business activities. As we know, Duy Xuyen is a district in Quang Nam, in which the My Son Sanctuary is located. According to the researcher‟s observation, it seems that only a few tourist business operations such as hotels, restaurants and additional tourist services are operated in Duy Xuyen in general and in the My Son Holy Land in particular. Located about 45 km away from the Hoi An Old City that is always crowded with many tourist activities, My Son in contrast is very peaceful.

Moreover, it is difficult for a visitor to find a restaurant and/or a hotel and even with other tourist activities in My Son once he feel hungry and thirsty and want to enjoy activities. Right at the gate of My Son Sanctuary, there is a small restaurant and shops served for the tourists, but they operate only until 4 o‟clock in the afternoon or even work off at earlier time. According to the tourists, this is considered as an inconvenience to them in visiting the My Son Holy Land.