Water resource management and island tourism development: insights from Phu Quoc, Kien Giang, Vietnam

Abstract

Island tourism development is frequently associated with increased use of natural resources for constructing facilities that serve tourism activities. The existing island tourism tools have had limited success in ensuring sustainable island tourism development. Our knowledge of water capacity and monitoring of the algae dominated marine environment need to be expanded to ensure the sustainability. The paper uses data from Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang, Vietnam to address these two above issues. The objective was gained through a combination of literature review, semi-structured interviews, and ecological sampling of marine algal species. The sustainability of tourism development in Phu Quoc is at risk due to inadequate focus on water resource management, poor wastewater treatment, and poor law enforcement. Inadequate water supply facilities cause water shortages, especially in the peak season, which resulted in uncontrolled groundwater extraction. Poor wastewater treatment and poor law enforcement create water quality problems in outflows causing degradation. Determination of water capacity should be prioritized and legally required as a compulsory element of sustainable island tourism development, and should guide the number of visitors and the types of tourism allowed at each site. Marine algal species should be accepted as a crucial indicator of the marine environment where algal species are dominant.