Of Tribes and Tourists

Our trip to Sapa was an interesting exercise in modern tourism. The 'ethnic minority' that we went to see certainly presented a unique culture that exists nowhere else in Vietnam. However, the tourism industry subverts the presentation of such customs through the commercialization of their way of life, encroachment on their land, and imposition of infrastructure to support the industry.

The first and most apparent divesture of 'traditional' culture from the ethnic minorities appears upon arrival to Sapa. Like almost all others they come and hoard incoming buses to peddle their various wares. The influx of tourists into the area has created a market for 'traditional' items from the village people. Whether commercializing their culture is good for the tribes people themselves has yet to be seen, but the act of doing so definitively changes their lives. Instead of working in the villages or markets, they now peddle their blankets, shirts, and purses to tourists. What is seen by us as their culture is now pre-packaged and ready to export.

Tourism may have created new markets for the village people, but it has also taken away from their land. Hotels stretch the town to its limits, eventually siding next to the rice paddies themselves. Trails used by thousands of tourist to trek into Phan Xi Pan, sprawl out into the forests. And home stay guesthouses spring up in the midst of the bamboo. These are all necessary components to a burgeoning tourism industry; however they are also distorting the true culture of these ethnic minorities. Trails that used to be used for trade or travel now cater to trekkers and their tour guides. In addition to changing their environment, the myriad of parading foreigners will certainly bring about their own debris and waste, sparking pollution in a previously pristine forest.

In the race out of poverty, the ethnic minorities of Sapa will face increasing pressure from outside influences. In the coming years they must balance their need to maintain a unique and rich culture while continuing to reap the benefits from a world full of curious travelers. This will be no small task.