Abstract

Border tourism is a distinctive form of tourism that emerges and develops within national border spaces, where multidimensional interactions in economic, cultural, social, and political spheres take place among neighboring countries. In the context of deepening globalization and regional integration, border tourism not only contributes to the exploitation of tourism potential in border areas but also plays an important role in promoting socio-economic development, enhancing people-to-people exchanges, and strengthening external relations. Vietnam, with its long land borders adjoining China, Laos, and Cambodia, possesses favorable conditions for the development of this type of tourism.

This article clarifies the concept of border tourism, highlights its distinctive features in comparison with other forms of tourism, and identifies the principal factors influencing the formation and development of border tourism in Vietnam. These factors include natural geographical conditions, the spatial characteristics of border areas, political and diplomatic relations, cross-border trade activities, transport infrastructure, and cultural interactions among borderland communities.

Through an analysis of representative cases along the Vietnam–China, Vietnam–Laos, and Vietnam–Cambodia border corridors, the article identifies several salient characteristics of contemporary border tourism in Vietnam, such as its strong transnational nature, close linkages with cross-border trade, the significant role of local border communities, and its dependence on a stable political and diplomatic environment. On this basis, the study proposes several development orientations aimed at effectively harnessing the potential of border tourism, thereby contributing to sustainable development in border regions within Vietnam’s ongoing process of international integration.