Tourists are always interested in cultural representations of the visited destination, conveyed in several forms including handicraft souvenirs, which are some of the most acquired items. Despite their crucial importance to tourism studies, such cultural representations occupy a lesser place in the literature. This article explores the process of forming representative handicraft souvenirs in Vietnam. Relying on in-depth interviews with various tourism stakeholders, seven local and national cultural themes embodied in the artifacts inventoried after their purchase by Francophone tourists will be analyzed.
