Abstract

This article examines how traditional festivals can support cultural tourism without undermining their sacred character and identity. It analyzes four festivals in Dong Thap from 2015 to 2025 using legal and administrative documents, visitor statistics, field observations, and an exploratory survey of 41 respondents. The study conceptualizes festivals through three layers: sacred rituals, cultural experiences, and tourism services and infrastructure. The findings indicate that community institutions help preserve ritual practices, while the boundary between ritual and festivity relies more on practice and consensus than on explicit management criteria. This issue has become more urgent following the abolition of district-level administration on 1 July 2025. The article proposes five management implications for balancing festival preservation with cultural tourism development during the administrative transition.

Keywords: Authenticity, cultural tourism, Dong Thap, heritage management, traditional festivals.