Colonial heritage tourism and collective traumatic memory : navigating memory, identity, and reconciliation (a case study of Con Dao Prison – Vietnam)

Abstract

This study examines the intersections between heritage tourism, cultural trauma, and collective identity through an in-depth case study of Côn Đảo Prison—a prominent site of colonial violence and national remembrance in Vietnam. Drawing on theories of collective memory and memory tourism, the research adopts a qualitative, interpretivist approach to explore how visitors emotionally engage with the site and interpret its historical significance. Through 13 semi-structured interviews with domestic and international tourists, the study reveals contrasting mnemonic frameworks: Vietnamese visitors primarily express patriotic pride and filial gratitude, while international tourists approach the site through critical lenses of colonial accountability and universal human rights. The heritage experience— mediated through symbolic spaces, curated exhibits, and tour guide narratives—functions not as a static encounter with the past but as a dynamic and emotionally charged process of memory co-construction. The findings underscore the ethical and affective complexity of interpreting dark heritage in postcolonial contexts, and argue for a shift in heritage governance toward narrative ethics, emotional literacy, and intercultural dialogue. By situating Côn Đảo Prison as a performative space of remembrance, this study contributes to broader debates on trauma-informed heritage interpretation and offers conceptual insights for the sustainable management of memory tourism in Southeast Asia.