Where to wear? An investigation into the tourist motivation and tourist experience of traditional fashion tourism in Huế City, Vietnam

Traveling to a destination while engaging in clothing-related practices is referred to as fashion tourism. Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest in studying this niche of tourism. Several scholars have proved a variety of positive influences of fashion tourism on the development of localities. However, the majority of studies on fashion tourism mainly take an approach to Western perspectives with a focus on trendy contemporary clothing. Hence, there exists little understanding of fashion tourism in Asian countries that are renowned for traditional clothes. This thesis aims to address this gap in knowledge by exploring the motivations, experiences, and reflections of domestic tourists participating in traditional fashion tourism in Huế city, Vietnam. As a bygone capital of Vietnam in the 19th and 20th centuries, Huế city possesses a myriad of well-preserved heritage sites and other cultural products. The long-standing history and aesthetic landscapes of Huế city have motivated many Vietnamese people to travel and wear traditional clothing during their trips. In order to unfold the reasons why this place is appealing to domestic tourists, the qualitative approach, namely in-depth, semi-structured interview, has been adopted. In total, eleven people of diverse socio-cultural backgrounds participated in this thesis. They are Vietnamese tourists who have been to heritage sites in Huế city at least once over the last five years and dressed in traditional clothing on their journeys. The results of this research show that the participants’ perspectives on and affinity for traditional clothes are divided into three layers of significance: a tourism product, a social tool, and a cultural heritage representing national identity. In parallel with the multiple layers of significance, the motivations and experiences of domestic tourists follow a three-stage process, indicating that traditional fashion tourism is a form of escapism, a means of social interactions, and most importantly, a reflection of belongingness.