Abstract

In the context of globalization, the promotion of cultural values in tourism development is increasingly recognized as a dual solution: it contributes to the economic growth while preserving and affirming the national identity. However, one of the prominent challenges of this approach is determining the “boundary” between maintaining cultural authenticity or identity and performing culture in tourism activities. Through the qualitative fieldwork conducted in Bac Ai Tay commune, Khanh Hoa province (from June to August 2025) using participant observation and in-depth interviews, this study approaches Raglai culture as a living heritage that is continuously sustained and recreated within community life. The findings reveal that ethnic culture does not exist as an immutable entity but is reproduced and transmitted through diverse social practices. Drawing on Clifford Geertz’s (1973) concept of cultural performance, the study interprets Raglai cultural values conveyed in tourism activities as a form of expression framed as a “cultural text.” Accordingly, the contemporary Raglai culture can be understood as a symbolic system constructed by the ethnic group to both reinforce internal identity and communicate as well as share with the outside world. The analysis demonstrates that the “boundary” between identity and performance is not sharply delineated but constitutes a flexible zone of intersection: identity is preserved in sacred elements and the community’s sense of self, while simultaneously being expanded and reconfigured into new expressive forms aligned with tourist preferences and socioeconomic conditions.