Abstract

The Ba Chua Xu Mount Sam Festival is a prominent religious event that holds an important place in the spiritual life of local communities and constitutes a distinctive tourism resource in An Giang. However, its development as a tourist attraction presents several challenges, particularly the risk of commercialization, pressure on infrastructure and the environment caused by large visitor numbers, and the need for heritage preservation. Addressing these challenges requires the participation of multiple stakeholders, including tour guides. Drawing on heritage interpretation theory and a survey of 163 tourism students, this article examines the role of tour guides in addressing challenges associated with the tourism development of the Ba Chua Xu Mount Sam Festival. Their roles are analyzed across four dimensions: education and communication, mediation and connection, social interaction, and inspiration and exploration.

Keywords: An Giang, Ba Chua Xu Mount Sam Festival, heritage interpretation, heritage tourism, tour guides.