The Solution for Building and Developing a Community-based Tourism Model in Ly Son Island District – Quang Ngai Province

Community-based tourism (CBT) is one of the forms of tourism that is being formed and developed in rural Vietnam on the basis of exploiting the value of eco-tourism resources, agriculture, and indigenous cultural lifestyles. Ly Son Island District in Quang Ngai Province is home to the Imperial Hoang Sa Navy. On the island, there are unique natural landscapes exploiting tourism services such as Thoi Loi Volcano, Gieng Tien, Hang Pagoda, To Vo Gate, etc. With a long history of development, Ly Son has rich cultural resources, many historical relics, and a rich system of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. However, the development of community tourism here has become uncontrolled and fragmented; at this point, there is no link between community tourism services, and they have not yet formed a complete product to meet visitors’ requirements. With the participatory approach, in-depth interviews, fieldwork, and ABCD method (Assets Based for Community Development), this study analyzes the potential, current situation, and orientation of building and developing a model of CBT at Ly Son Island district, Quang Ngai.


Introduction
Community-based tourism (CBT) has appeared since the 1970s and has become popular on most continents, especially in rural areas, mountains, and ethnic minority areas in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.CBT is initiated by the community itself and directly benefits from the CBT model [1].CBT development requires sufficient resources such as attractive tourism resources, technical facilities, infrastructure for tourists, organizational structures, business capacity, conventions on tourism activities [2].CBT refers to the activities and initiatives of local people in a specific rural [3].CBT involves management, community development, tourism businesses, and some form of cultural exchange where tourists meet with the local community and view the different sides of their lifestyle [4].In addition, CBT transfers decision-making to the community level, which leads to the empowerment of local communities and the development of local institutions, thereby providing a sense of ownership, strengthening community identity and pride [5].Strengthening community consensus and participation is seen as one of the important directions for sustainable tourism development.Local people need to be given 1247 (2023) 012011 IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1247/1/012011 2 opportunities to actively participate in tourism and to be more fairly and equitably distributed benefits from local tourism development [6].
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), CBT is an activity "in which local communities participate directly and play an important role in management and development.Most of the benefits obtained belong to the community.Overall, CBT is a type of tourism that emphasizes the role of the community as the center, with some main features such as: (1) controlling the values of tourism resources in the living space of the local community to support tourists; (2) receiving economic benefits and opportunities to obtain information from tourists; (3) enhancing the capacity to organize, operate, and carry out activities, and building tourism products to serve tourists; (4) as a result, the community increasingly plays a leading role.To successfully implement the CBT model, attention must be paid to the value chain with the participation of stakeholders in the management and operation of C, increasing benefits for the community is also important.The role of stakeholders is crucial in building a sustainable CBT model.At present, community tourism is considered the most sustainable form of tourism that brings many economic development benefits to local residents in Vietnam.Community tourism not only helps people protect ecological resources but also preserves and promotes the unique cultural characteristics of the locality, which is closely associated with the national target program for rural tourism development in building new rural areas.Community tourism is currently being focused on and developed in Vietnam in general and in Quang Ngai province, Ly Son district in particular.Since the decision 922/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister on August 02, 2022, linking rural tourism development with building new rural areas, it has been actively implemented in provinces and cities nationwide.Community tourism has become the 6th product group in the OCOP program, according to Decision 490 of the Prime Minister on May 7, 2018, and Decision 148/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister on February 24, 2023.
At present, community tourism development on islands is also being given attention, contributing to the livelihoods of islanders [7] [ 8], exploiting the ecological and landscape values of the sea, and protecting national sovereignty.Communities are involved in tourism and are the subjects of tourism services [9].
The district of Ly Son, located in Quang Ngai province, lies on an important coastal route from north to south, about 90 nautical miles from the international maritime route.This important position has made Ly Son Island a crucial administrative unit for the country, with a role in ensuring sovereignty and security on the sea.The district consists of two islands: Large Island (also known as Cu Lao Re) and Small Island (Cu Lao Bo Bai), including three communes: An Vinh, An Hai, and An Binh.The natural area is nearly 10km 2 .The population is over 21,000 people [10], with about 60% of households making a living from fishing, 30% from agriculture (mainly growing onions, garlic, and corn), and 10% from tourism activities.
The purpose of the article is to i) analyze the potential and status of CBT development in Ly Son Island; ii) propose options for building and developing a model of CBT in Ly Son Island.Based on these objectives, the article also raises research questions such as i) What are the characteristics of Ly Son Island in terms of tourism resources to develop CBT? ii) Which management mechanism is suitable for the model of CBT in Ly Son Island?The CBT model on Ly Son Island is built and developed to 1) standardize spontaneous tourism activities in the island district; (2) diversify tourism products associated with marine ecology, culture, historical sites, and geological relics; (3) promote the internal capacity of the local community; (4) create a connection between stakeholders in community tourism development; (5) raise people's awareness of environmental protection, landscape enhancement, and pride in the countryside.At the same time, developing CBT products that meet the standards of group 06 of the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program and implementing Decision 922/QD-TTg dated August 2, 2022, on rural tourism development associated with the National program on building new countryside.

Methods
The CBT model in Ly Son Island district is built and developed based on the following research and implementation methods:

Participatory approach method
The proposed article was based on actual surveys conducted in Ly Son district, including Big and Small islands, in collaboration with the community, using a participatory approach to understand the culture, people, strengths, and weaknesses of Ly Son district.

Information synthesis and SWOT analysis method
Secondary information was collected from statistical reports, scientific journals, and research works to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of tourism resources, and the current situation of tourism development in Ly Son district.Primary data were collected through group meetings with households and in-depth interviews with local leaders, specialized management officials, and academic institutions.Based on the collected information, the authors conducted an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges for tourism in Ly Son Island district, resulting in recommendations for establishing and development of community tourism in the district.

ABCD method (Community development based on existing resources)
ABCD is an approach that does not start from "needs" but from the "internal resources" of the community [11].It is considered a new approach to positive community development, starting from the awakening and promotion of existing strengths, abilities, and successes of the community as a starting point for change.Social assets are placed at the center of mobilizing internal resources, focusing on the linkages and cooperative capacities of groups and organizations within the community.The community actively directs development activities based on internal resources.The process of building by the ABCD method includes [12]: (1) Collecting stories; (2) Establishing core and equal groups within the community; (3) Mapping the capacities and assets of individuals, groups, associations, and organizations in the locality; (4) Establishing a representative group to develop a vision and plan for the community; (5) Mobilizing assets for community development; (6) Promoting actions, investments, and resources to serve community development.The ABCD method is the main method for proposing solutions to develop the CBT model in Ly Son island district.

The questionnaire survey method
The questionnaire survey was conducted with 120 households participating in the Ly Son community tourism model to obtain information related to participating in the model, as well as the community's expectations and capabilities when participating in the model.These identified motivations of members in model CBT in Ly Son district.

Some the CBT models in Vietnam
Currently, according to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, there are more than 400 CBT and service points nationwide.However, there are currently very few CBT sites with sustainable management mechanisms.Below, I present three models in the North, Central, and South regions that have similarities to the CBT model in Ly Son.

The CBT model of Nam Hong village (Ha Giang)
Nam Hong village is located in Thong Nguyen commune, Hoang Su Phi district (Ha Giang), and is home to 38 households of the Dao ethnic group.The village possesses the unique cultural values of the Red Dao people, natural landscapes with the characteristics of the Northeastern mountains and forests, and the ancient tea trees in San Tuyet region.In 2017, the Agriculture and Rural Development CBT Cooperative of Nam Hong Village was established, with 37 members serving as the focal point for receiving and coordinating tourists' visits and stays.The cooperative will hire artisans, license its members to be motorbike taxi drivers or tour guides, and also provide support in cooking for and serving visitors when they want to enjoy cultural programs, Fire Dance Festival, or experience ethnic culture, the scenery in the village, and visit the ancient tea trees in Phin Ho.With this approach, all members of the cooperative participate in tourism and have a stable source of income.
The members of the group have come up with many ideas to preserve and promote the cultural values of the ethnic group, preserve the terraced rice fields, virgin forests, and traditional folk games.This has motivated young people to unanimously build Nam Hong into a CBT village, preserve the cultural identity of the ethnic group, provide food and accommodation services, trek, experience, and explore the culture of the Dao ethnic group in particular and the Hoang Su Phi ethnic groups in general.

The CBT model of Go Co Village (Quang Ngai)
Go Co Village is a 3-star OCOP tourism product, where the longstanding cultural values of the Sa Huynh, Champa, and Dai Viet periods are empitomized.These cultural values are expressed through farming activities, fishing at sea, and the daily life of the local people here.In addition, the land of Go Co has witnessed many historical events, from fierce battlefields to remarkable revival after being forgotten.The geological and cultural values here form the basis for the establishment of the Go Co Village Heritage Park.
Go Co Village resembles a miniature geological park, located within the Ly Son-Sa Huynh Geological Park in Quang Ngai.At the same time, it integrates all the geological, landscape, cultural, and biological diversity of heritage values, following the criteria of a village-scale geological park.Moreover, it still retains the longstanding cultural values of different periods preserved through generations until today.
The CBT model of Go Co Village operates under the model of a community tourism cooperative with the goal of sustainable development based on the community's principle of being the subject, with the guidance of People know -people understand -people discuss -people do -people manage.The Go Co Village community is also interested in equipping itself with knowledge and improving its capacity to serve tourists.All related parties in the model also share fair and transparent benefits.To achieve this, the Go Co Village Heritage Park has built a community tourism cooperative model to form an organization that coordinates the community's economic development in a civilized manner.The mission of the Go Co Village Community Tourism Cooperative is to organize and coordinate conservation activities to enhance the capacity of local people.
Services here include homestay, dining, and experience services.Tourists can experience the packaged products, and the community provides attentive and intimate services through stories about this village.This model clearly demonstrates the participation of the community and the role of the community tourism cooperative.However, there is a need for an overall community tourism planning project and the improvement of landscape and tourism infrastructure.

CBT model in Con Chim (Tra Vinh)
Based on an assessment of tourism resources, it can be seen that Con Chim has landscape and water space that are still pristine for developing CBT in agriculture and rural areas.The local people here engage in traditional agriculture activities that are closely linked to the culture of the Mekong Delta community, bearing the rustic features of the old southern village.The people on the island participate in supplying some CBT products and services in agriculture and rural areas, such as sightseeing, experiences, cuisine, and souvenir and local specialty shopping, etc.
The Con Chim CBT model is built on the principle of "Harmony with Nature," where people engage in tourism while preserving environmental resources, clean farming, and production practices following the "shrimp embracing rice" model.The Con Chim CBT point is based on the cultural values of the community, organized and managed by the people of Con Chim with the goal of protecting the environment, promoting cultural values, strengthening relationships among villages and neighbors, and helping tourists feel a sense of intimacy, friendliness, and have opportunities to experience and explore the daily life of people in the Mekong Delta region.This tourism model follows the trend of "slow tourism" that is suitable for everyone, helping to improve the quality of life and enjoyment of tourists.

The current situation of tourism development in Ly Son Island district
Ly Son Island district is a hidden gem in Quang Ngai province, with a rich variety of tourism resources.The island is famous for its stunning natural scenery, rich cultural heritage, and warm and hospitable locals.
Ly Son Island possesses full natural and cultural tourism resources [13].The island still bears traces of an extinct volcano with 5 craters, formed about 25-30 million years ago.This area deserves to become a global geological park.The eruption and extinction of the volcano created fascinating natural landscapes on the island which also bearstraces of Champa culture.All of these create mysterious and attractive tourism products for tourists.One of the most unique and popular natural attractions of Ly Son is the Thoi Loi volcano which has an impressive crater lake and offers visitors an incredible view of the surrounding area.Ly Son has many relics created by volcanic eruptions like Cau Cave, Hang Pagoda, Duc Temple, the archway, etc.These hold great value for tourism.In addition to its natural beauty, Ly Son is also known for its rich cultural heritage.
The island is home to various historical structures, including the Hoang Sa Naval Base, an ancient citadel built during the Nguyen Dynasty.Moreover, Ly Son Island is also known for its unique traditional festivals and rituals such as the "Le khao le the linh Hoang Sa" (Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers), which takes place annually on the 18th day of the third lunar month.This festival is held to pay tribute to the brave soldiers who protected Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.
The island also has a tradition of fishing and agriculture, with many visitors coming to experience the local way of life and taste the island's delicious seafood.Onion and garlic products are very famous in Ly Son.
Overall, Ly Son Island district offers a unique and diverse range of tourism resources, making it an ideal destination for nature lovers and enthusiasts of culture, history or local cuisine etc.. Along with these advantages, there are also many difficulties in accessing the tourist market, such as duration of travel, especially from major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to the island district; high tour costs due to transportation by various means such as planes, cars, and boats to reach the island district; the safe calm sea season for visitors is only from February to August; tourism activities are still rather spontaneous and unorganized; tourism service personnel lack specialized training, and the number of staff in charge of tourism is not sufficient.Therefore, building a CBT model through surveying households in the Ly Son island district shows the advantages, difficulties, opportunities, and challenges in the process of building a CBT model here.Source: Ngo Thi Thu Trang, 2022

Steps to build the CBT model in Ly Son island
The survey results of 120 members registered to participate in the CBT model show that the decisive factors (see Fig. 1) for participating in the CBT model are disseminating information to the participants about the information related to the model (88,2%) such as the name of the model, the rights and obligations when participating in the model as well as the organizational structure of the model.In addition, other factors that facilitate or impede participation in the model are, for example, investment conditions in CBT (40,6%); knowledge about tourism (36,4%); ability to deploy the model (86,7%); policy on CBT (95,4%).The group should discuss with the community to gather suggestions for interesting stories related to the historical events, cultural characteristics, and activities of the Ly Son island.The spiritual stories associated with sacredness through the words of the islanders, at each destination, will help to build a unique narration for the CBT model of Ly Son Island.

Step 2: Establishing a core group within the community (S2; W1; W2; W3; W4; O4)
The core group comprises individuals directly involved in the CBT model, who are selected to hold the positions of coordinators or deputy coordinators of community tourism activities and heads of various service groups.This core group is elected by the community and plays a leading role in developing the CBT model.
The core group will reorganize and allocate roles to the members participating in the CBT model, ensuring fairness in distributing the value.The core group will play a role in connecting the stakeholders in the tourism value chain, promoting tourism products to contribute to healthy competition in terms of price and quality of the products when tourists choose to visit the CBT model in Ly Son island.
Individuals who register to participate in the CBT model of Ly Son Island will be nominated or elected to participate in the community's core group.

Step 3: Mapping the capacities and assets of individuals, groups, associations, and organizations at the local level (S1; S2; S3; S4; S5; S6; S7; S8; W3; W4; T2, T3, T6)
The capacity map is based on the assets of the community's individuals, reflecting their culture, lifestyle, farming experiences, and community assets that members can use to identify and link their capabilities and assets (see Fig. 2) such as historic sites, cultural products, festivals, and landscapes on Ly Son Island.

Figure 2. Community capacity map (source: Ngo Thi Thu Trang, 2022)
The capacity chart shows that the members participating in the model have diverse sources of livelihood capital, attracting 120 members to participate in the model with 32 members having onion and garlic fields, 18 members having restaurant services, 32 members having basket boats, 42 members having motorbike and many other services.
All are shown through tools such as drawing a map of the existing assets in the community and analyzing the tourism resources at the local level; describing potential linkages in community assets and resources to objectively evaluate opportunities for developing the CBT model here.The capacity map is also highlighted to form specialized groups in the CBT management model in the future, as well as opinions to be incorporated into the management mechanism in the future.

Step 4: Establishing a representative group to develop a vision and plan for the community (S2; S7; W7; O1; O2; O4; T2; T6; T8)
This representative group mobilizes support from scientists, businesses participating in tourism activities, and local authorities from the provincial to district level.The core group is responsible for developing short and long-term visions and goals for the development of community tourism in Ly Son.
In addition, based on the capacity map and potential leaders, the community begins to establish a core representative group to initiate the first management tasks such as building a vision, a general plan, an organizational structure, and human resources.This is expected to create leverage for community activities, starting with the implementation of asset connectivity activities of the community without external assistance.Through the community's aspirations when participating in the model, actors directly and indirectly participating in the CBT model in Ly Son need to promote actions, investments and resources to restore service for community development.
After successfully establishing the management model and mobilizing community assets, in the above steps, the community needs to continue taking action, investing, and developing its organization.Then, when the assets and resources within the community are fully utilized, it may seek additional resources from outside.This will put the community in a position of strength to further promote its vision.
Above is a brief overview of the method of building and developing a CBT model based on the assets and resources of the community.Based on each method is the combination of utilizing strengths to control weaknesses and taking opportunities to minimize challenges in developing CBT in Ly Son district.Currently, some development projects in rural agriculture and community tourism in Vietnam have applied this approach.

Discussion
The sustainable development and implementation of a CBT model require the participation of the local community.The involvement of community members in planning, implementing, and managing CBT activities shows that they own tourism resources and are in charge of providing services, ensuring the sustainability of tourism activities.Tourists can experience the diversity and customs of the local culture, and more importantly, interact with the community.The participation of the community in building and developing the CBT model in Ly Son will contribute to (1) increasing tourist satisfaction; (2) ensuring fairness in the allocation of costs and benefits; (3) increasing the community's capacity in tourism management and operation; (4) increasing pride in the homeland and participation in local tourism activities; (5) increasing income and improving the standard of living of the community; and (6) promoting the value of community-made products, helping to promote agricultural products better through tourism activities.
In addition to the role of the community as the subject, actors involved in building and developing the community tourism model in Ly Son include stakeholders such as local authorities; tourism companies, travel agencies; tourists; political and social organizations, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions.
Local authorities are government agencies in the area, starting with the Commune People's Committees, Ward, Township, and higher levels.They are responsible for managing all economic and social activities in the area, including community tourism.State management agencies in the field of tourism include the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the Department of Culture and Tourism, and higher levels.These agencies support community tourism models with policy and management roles.Community tourism models need to seek support and create conditions from these agencies, and in turn, these agencies also need to invest in local community tourism activities because of the significance that these activities bring.Local authorities participate in the community tourism model with functions and tasks such as: (1) Managing, organizing, and supervising the decision-making process during the development of the model; (2) Participating in the construction and implementation of regulations and standards for protecting, respecting, and exploiting tourism resources; (3) Monitoring, supervising, supporting, or opposing plans for land use rights; plans for borrowing, using, and recovering loans; plans for protecting and exploiting tourism resources; community tourism business activities; tourist activities; tourist revenue and expenditure according to laws and regulations.
Tourism businesses or related activities are units that provide tourism products/services or additional services for tourists.In tourism activities, these businesses are the bridge between the tourism model and tourists.They bring tourists to tourism models to experience products/services and share benefits with the community.At a higher level, businesses can participate in managing and operating tourism models in different forms.Businesses can provide additional employment opportunities for the community through tourism-related jobs such as transportation, food and beverage, tour guides, sanitation, security, and discounted services for the model.
Tourists visiting tourism models are people with high levels of awareness, love for nature and local cultural values, and an understanding of their role in conserving resources and being willing to pay to protect the environment.CBT services in Ly Son face challenges such as geographic distance, high service prices due to transportation costs and limited access to CBT services, but tourists visiting Ly Son are proud of their homeland's unique natural landscape and local cultural values.They care about the values of pristine natural scenery, uniqueness, and local culture that they believe are unique.
Social political organizations, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions are organizations and individuals who support CBT development in implementing tourism development projects in areas such as statistical research, monitoring, financial, technical, and developmental experiences in CBT.
The solutions for developing a CBT model in Ly Son Island District, Quang Ngai Province may include the following: Enhancing the community's vision: education and communication activities are needed to raise the community's awareness of the importance of conservation and sustainable tourism development.
Building a strict management mechanism: management mechanisms are needed to ensure fairness in the distribution of value chains and sustainable development, while ensuring the rights of the local community.
Developing characteristic tourism products: Focusing on developing characteristic tourism products of the locality, such as those related to culture, history, and nature, to attract tourists.
Strengthening cooperation between the community, businesses and local government: Creating cooperation between the community, businesses and local government to enhance the capacity for sustainable tourism development.
Managing tourism environment and resources: ensuring the management of tourism environment and resources to protect natural resources and ensure sustainability for the tourism industry.
Training and enhancing the community's capacity: training and enhancing the community's capacity to actively and effectively participate in tourism development activities.

Conclusion
As stated above, the local communities is the key player and owner of all activities related to CBT development since they own the tourism resources in the locality.They have the responsibility to preserve local culture, tourism resources, and promote local economic and social development.Research and practical models in Ly Son have shown that if the local communities do not play the role of the main actor in CBT, the model is less sustainable and feasible, and conflicts of interest may arise.
Local communities participate or are responsible for decision-making, implementation, and management of CBT activities.Members of the local community who participate in tourism activities share the benefits of tourism, including material and spiritual benefits, and have the responsibility to protect the cultural and natural resources of the locality.With the support of scientists, local authorities, and businesses, the community is the main actor in building tourism products and services that are suitable for local natural and cultural conditions, minimizing environmental and living conditions.
Most tourism activities can bring significant benefits to the local community, but it cannot be denied that they also have negative impacts on them and the natural environment.Under any form of tourism, the natural environment and local culture must endure tangible and intangible pressures.Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate risks and have solutions to overcome them in the process of developing CBT at the local level.The community's participation is diverse and contributes to increasing the value of tourism products as well as preserving and promoting traditional cultural values and unique production of the region.This participation is essential and requires a management mechanism to ensure fairness in the distribution of value chains and sustainable development.

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Desire to support the community to participate in the model (source: Ngo Thi Thu Trang, 2022)

Table 1 .
SWOT analysis results for CBT in Ly Son island