 (Vietnam Visa On Arrival) Vietnam has this year welcomed more than
6.84 million foreign visitors, a year-on-year rise of 9.5%, with arrivals from
traditional markets remaining high.
The number of international arrivals in the nation this year is
340,000 higher than earlier estimated by the tourism industry. However, the
2012 growth rate at 9.5% is lower than the 19.1% in 2011 over 2010.
China and Russia are the two markets showing
considerable changes in 2012.
China has still captured the top
position, but arrivals from the neighboring nation in 2012 have increased a
mere 8% year-on-year to 1.4 million, while the growth rate last year was a
staggering 56.5%.
The Russian market only ranks 12th among the top visitor-generating
markets but the number of tourists from this market has jumped 71.5%
year-on-year to more than 174,000, most of them coming for short-term holidays
in coastal cities.
At the moment, flights connecting Russia
with the central coastal province
of Khanh Hoa or HCMC are
operational almost every day to serve Russian visitors on their winter
holidays.
Many provinces have announced the 2012 reports on international
arrivals. According to the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the
city this year has welcomed some 3.8 million foreign tourists, a rise of 10%
over the year-ago period.
The central province
of Binh Dinh has seen
over 341,000 international arrivals, soaring 13.5% over 2011. Khanh Hoa Province reported 528,000 foreign travelers in the
locality, marking up nearly 20% year-on-year, while the northern province of Quang Ninh has recorded
around 2.4 million foreign visitors.
|
| Source: SGT |
Vietnam welcomes nearly seven million foreign visitors
Hue welcomes its two millionth visitor
 (Vietnam Visa On Arrival) The Hue Relics Preservation Centre welcomed UK citizen Sandra Noel, its two
millionth visitor, on December 30.
Ms Noel has been presented with a certificate, souvenirs, and vouchers
to visit all of the centre’s sites. She also won a one night stay for two
people at the five-star Ana Mandra resort in Hue.
Spanish tourist Servan Rubio Diego, as the 1,999,900th visitor, was
another lucky winner of souvenirs and vouchers from the Hue Relics Preservation
Centre.
The giveaways are part of the “Hue Heritage – Week of Visitors”
program, which ran from December 24–30. It celebrated the 20th anniversary of
UNESCO recognising Hue imperial palace complex
as World Cultural Heritage and promoted Hue
heritage’s to potential visitorsboth local and foreign.
Phan Thanh Hai, the centre’s director, said the program also offered
students and visitors a variety of discounts, culminating in the Royal Night
organised for Dai Noi area on December 30.
The program successfully helped attract more tourists, earning more
than VND2 billion in revenue—a dramatic increase compared to the previous year.
|
| Source: VOV |
HCM City welcomes first int’l tourists in 2013
 Foreign tourists arriving at Tan
Son Nhat
International Airport,
Ho Chi Minh City,
on the first day of the New Year were warmly welcomed by Deputy Director of the
municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, La Quoc Khanh.
The lucky travellers included 315 tourists from Frankfurt, Germany, and 150 visitors
from Hong Kong.
According to the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism,
this is the first in a series of activities to promote Vietnam in 2013.
In 2012, HCM
City received 3.8 million
foreign tourists, an increase of 8.5 percent from last year, accounting for 56
percent of all int’l arrivals to the country. Tourism generated 68 trillion VND
for the city - 42.5 percent of the national total.
|
| Source: VNA |
Vietnam Kite Festival opens in Vung Tau
 The 2013 Vietnam Kite Festival opened in Vung Tau city, Ba Ria–Vung
Tau province on January 1.
The event, at the beach at Bien Dong Resort, drew the participation of
100 craftsmen from 13 kite clubs across the country. Vietnam Visa On Arrival
According to Quan Hang Cao, Vice Head of the Kite Festival’s
Organising Board, this is the first time the festival has implemented flying
regulations, providing spectators with more attractive kite performances.
The festival will end on January 2.
|
| Source: VNA |
Ba Be Lake awarded national special relic status
 The title of national special relic site was awarded to Ba Be Lake in
the northern mountainous province of Bac
Kan at a ceremony on December 29.
National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung attended the ceremony.
Addressing the event, he affirmed that the title will help the province make
the most of its natural heritage to promote socio-economic development, culture
and tourism.
The lake covers an area of around 500 hectares and is located in the
10,000 hectare Ba Be National Park. It has been listed among 20 freshwater
lakes in the world in need of protection.
Its new status not only brings pride, but also challenges to the
locality to maintain and promote the lake’s value that will encourage
socio-economic and tourism development.
At the event, a special arts programme was performed to showcase the
cultural identities of the local mountainous ethnic groups.
|
| Source: VNA |
Culture, tourism and trade week begins in Lam Dong
 (Vietnam Visa On Arrival) A Culture, Tourism and Trade Exchange Week is taking place in Da Lat,
Lam Dong province in the Central Highlands
from December 30 to January 5.
The event is just one of the activities celebrating the 120 th
anniversary of the resort city of Da
Lat.
A trade fair with more than 250 stands is held with the participation
of over 100 enterprises from Central and Central Highland provinces, including
Lam Dong, Binh Dinh, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, DakLak and Ho Chi Minh City .
Participants advertise their strengths to domestic and foreign
visitors to seek partners, and share experiences in trademarks and market
access strategies.
During the week, other activities are also being held, including a
Central Highlands cuisine festival, an exhibition on Da Lat history, and an
arts and culture exchange programme between the Central Highlands and Ho Chi Minh City.
|
| Source: VNA |
Hanoi celebrates New Year 2013
 Hanoi’s Old Quarter
management board launched cultural activities at four heritage sites on December
27, beginning the lead-up to welcoming New Year 2013. Vietnam Visa On Arrival
Painter Si Tot is
exhibiting his work at Kim Ngan Temple on 42-44 Hang Bac Street.
Photographs celebrating the
traditional Lai Xa photograph village in Hoai Duc district are on display at
Dong Lac Temple on 38 Hang Dao Street.
A heritage building at 87
Ma May Street is showcasing traditional Dong Ho and Hang Trong paintings.
More details about the new
exhibitions can be found at the information centre on 28 Hang Buom Street.
All will last through to
February 27, 2013.
From December 30, 2012 to
January 1, 2013, the Ly Thai To statue square will host a performance
celebrating the New Year.
The municipal Department of
Culture, Sports, and Tourism is also planning to adorn Ly Thai To flower garden
with 40 stalls displaying the arts and handicrafts of the city’s traditional
craft villages.
|
| Source: VOV |
Mong Village - an attractive culture and hot mineral tourism destination
(TITC)
- Like as smooth melody of Thai folk song “Inh la oi”, Northwestern
mountainous scenery is very majestic and charming, especially the way to
Mong Village (Hua La Commune, Son La City, Son La Province).
When
visiting the village, tourists will be immediately attracted by the
distinctive scenery constituted of spectacular mountains and rivers. The
different mountains form a stunning range that resembles a dragon
embracing Nam La River. The trees of coffee, pine, plum, apricot and
bamboo cover the sides of mountains. The village is also surrounded by
primitive forest with many precious trees and colorful orchid flowers.
In spring, all types of flowers such as apricot, plum and Ban show off
their beauty. Flying around the flowers are yellow bees making the
brilliant scenery of Mong Village more charming. And the winter is the
perfect time for vong gai flowers to bloom, filling the forest with a
bright red color. Standing out amongst that beauty is the traditional
stilt houses and cheerful Thai women with com shirt, black skirt, blue
belt…
The
village is home to more than 106 Thai households living mainly by rice
cultivation, cattle breeding and brocade weaving. The traditional
cultural values of Thai ethnic group as costumes, jewelry, cuisine,
festivals, folk dances and songs ... have been kept intactly. Mong
Village also attracts tourists by abundant hot mineral water resource.
According to scientists, average temperature of the outdoor hot mineral
stream in Mong Village is 38oC. Water is colorless, odorless with
physical, chemical characteristics and natural mineral components which
appropriate with treating some diseases of skin, rheumatism,
neuropathology, cardiovascular... In particular, water temperature
changes to seasons. In the winter, water is warmer than in the summer.
With
plentiful tourism potential, since 1997, Son La City has collaborated
with the villagers to invest and develop community-based tourism type
associated with hot mineral stream bath. To Mong Village, tourists will
see mixture beauty of tradition and modern. Entrance, roads, alleys are
always clean. The villagers also built a community culture house;
established an art team to perform Thai folk songs and dances…
Especially, all stilt houses have standard toilets and bathrooms. Vietnam Visa On Arrival
Staying
in Mong Village, tourists will have the opportunity to admire, purchase
textile, brocade products made by the villagers; especially enjoy many
local specialties as cay pinh (grilled chicken), pa pinh top (grilled
fish), forest vegetables, sticky rice…
Community-based
tourism has helped the villagers not only preserve but also promote
traditional cultural identity. With this direction, Mong Village will be
always a peaceful destination for tourists to keep away the noisy of
city.
Thu Giang
Hanoi celebrates New Year 2013
 Hanoi’s Old Quarter
management board launched cultural activities at four heritage sites on December
27, beginning the lead-up to welcoming New Year 2013.
Painter Si Tot is
exhibiting his work at Kim Ngan Temple on 42-44 Hang Bac Street.
Photographs celebrating the
traditional Lai Xa photograph village in Hoai Duc district are on display at
Dong Lac Temple on 38 Hang Dao Street. Vietnam Visa On Arrival
A heritage building at 87
Ma May Street is showcasing traditional Dong Ho and Hang Trong paintings.
More details about the new
exhibitions can be found at the information centre on 28 Hang Buom Street.
All will last through to
February 27, 2013.
From December 30, 2012 to
January 1, 2013, the Ly Thai To statue square will host a performance
celebrating the New Year.
The municipal Department of
Culture, Sports, and Tourism is also planning to adorn Ly Thai To flower garden
with 40 stalls displaying the arts and handicrafts of the city’s traditional
craft villages.
|
| Source: VOV |
Nghia An Commune – a typical model of community-based tourism in Muong Lo
(TITC)- Located in vast Muong Lo
field, Nghia An Commune (Nghia Lo Town, Yen Bai Province) is home to 2,654 Thai
ethnic people, occupying 90% of total population of Nghia An.
Nghia An Commune is a
favorite stop-point of many tourists in the tour to discover Muong Lo area.
Coming here, tourists will be warmly welcomed and have chances to enjoy Thai
people lifestyle.
In order to protect
ecological environment and preserve cultural characteristics, Yen Bai Province
has chosen Nghia An Commune to develop community-based tourism combining with
ecotourism. The local people move cattle cages away from home, upgrading houses,
build bathrooms and toilets, clean environment…). Vietnam Visa On Arrival
To impulse the development
of community-based tourism, Nghia An People’s Committee supports local people to
restore traditional handicrafts, festivals (hoa ban festival, pray for rain
festival, harvest festival…), folk songs (giao duyen, Han Khuong…), folk games
(slip pole climbing, rope bridge crossing, con throwing – throwing a sacred ball
through the ring, stick pushing…); encourages villages to set up performance
team to serve tourists.
As a result, Nghia An has
promoted its special strength and gained prestige in eyes of many tour operators
like Hanoi Amika, Sao Viet, A Chau… In Nghia An, they usually choose Hoang Kim
Phuong family (Deu 3 village) to serve tourists.
Mrs. Phuong is a pioneer in
the field of commune-base tourism in Nghia An. Her house on stills has been
equipped with television, fridge, and internet. She arranges accommodation
attentively, guides tourists to do daily work. She also organizes discovery
tours such as cycling tour to visit Nam Dong spring, cycling tour to study Mong
ethnic people life in Tram Tau…
Another good example is
Mrs. Ha Thi Thanh in Deu 2 village. She has encouraged some woman to set up
embroidery team specializing in weaving, embroidering brocade products with
various designs and pattern to sale: pieu towel, 7-color handkerchiefs, dresses,
hats, wallets...
Nghia Lo People’s Committee
has approved “Community-based tourism in rural Nghia An Commune” project with
total investment of 980 million VND for period 2012-2013. The project includes:
upgrading accommodations of homestay families, building medicinal bathrooms,
organizing training courses to improve tourism knowledge and skills…
In the coming time, Nghia
An Commune will continue to build standard toilets and bathrooms, open training
courses, raise awareness of local people, ensure security, develop tour
programmes under the guide of specialised agencies.
Hong
Thanh
The second meeting of Steering and Organizing boards of National Tourism Year – Hai Phong 2013
(TITC)-
The meeting, held on December 19, was chaired by Minister of Culture,
Sports and Tourism - Head of Steering Board, Mr. Hoang Tuan Anh, and had
the attendance of members of the Steering and Organizing boards and
press agencies.
(Vietnam Visa On Arrival) Speaking
at the event, General Director of the Vietnam National Administration
of Tourism, Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan emphasized that the success of National
Tourism Year of the North Central – Hue 2012 has contributed to
development of Viet Nam tourism sector, and hoped that the National
Tourism Year of Red Rivel Delta – Hai Phong 2013 will be successful and
leave a deep impression on tourists coming to Viet Nam.
At
the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong People’s Committee, Mr. Le
Khac Nam introduced National Tourism Year 2013 programmes. Under the
theme “The Red River civilization”, many culture, sports and tourism
activities will take place throughout the year 2013, including 23
activities organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
(MoCST) in coordination with other ministries and 12 activities
organized by Hai Phong City. Besides, many other exciting activities
will also be organized in cities and provinces in the Red River Delta
region.
Chairman
of the Hai Phong People’s Committee - Head of the Organizing Board, Mr.
Duong Anh Dien said in order to successfully organize National Tourism
Year 2013, it is necessary to connect festivals in the whole country to
tourism year’s programmes; attract the involvement of local people;
combine international and domestic promotion efforts…
In
conclustion, Minister of MoCST Hoang Tuan Anh said that the National
Tourism Year 2013 aims to promote Viet Nam’s images, attracting both
domestic and foreign tourists; improve tourist infrastructure; improve
the quality of organizing events and tourism activities, attracting the
involvement of local people; improve quality of service; and renovate
Hai Phong City typical tourism products.
Hong Thanh
Protecting environment in Tam Coc – Bich Dong to attract tourists
(TITC) - Located in Ninh Hai
Commune, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province, Tam Coc – Bich Dong is 100km south
of Ha Noi City. It is a popular destination with great tourist potential of
landscape, culture, historic, festival, and spirit.
(Vietnam Visa On Arrival) However, Tam Coc – Bich
Dong has been influenced by negative impact of waste disposal, boat vendors
harassing tourist to sell things, and photographers following the boats and
insistently asking tourists to take pictures…
To deal with these
problems, relevant local authorities have implemented measures to improve
tourism environment, which draws the participation of local people, tourist area
management boards.
The tourist area management
boards have organized training courses for tour guides, popularized information
to raise awareness of environment protection of local people including rowers,
photographers, vendors..; collaborated with local authorities to gather garbage
into right places; deployed boats along Ngo Dong River to collect rubbish…
For households living in
the area, especially those who run restaurants and hotels, local authorities
have encouraged them to ensure environmental hygiene, avoid littering,
deforestating, stalactites carving, birds hunting...
Therefore, tourism
environment in the area has been improved significantly. Consequently, Tam Coc –
Bich Dong has attracted more and more tourists thanks to a green – clean –
beautiful environment.
Hong
Thanh
HCM City’s tourism revenues up 20%
 (Vietnam Visa On Arrival) HCMC’s tourism sector
revenues this year are estimated to reach VND68 trillion, rising 20% from last
year and accounting for 40% of the country’s total, according to the HCMC
government.
There will be an estimated
3.8 million international tourists coming to the city this year, representing
85% of the total nationwide and surging 8.5% year-on-year.
The city next year will
improve the quality of services and diversify tourism products, especially
riverway tourism, to attract more local and foreign tourists and contribute to
growth in tourist arrivals and revenues.
The HCMC Department of
Culture, Sports and Tourism is preparing a development strategy for riverway
tourism in the city with a vision towards 2020. The city will firstly formulate
a plan until 2015 to develop river routes, tourist attractions, wharves, means
of transport and human resources.
|
| Source: SGT |
Ngoi Tu cultural village: a community-based tourism destination
 (TITC) – Thanks to beautiful
natural landscape and diversified culture, Yen Bai Province has potential to
develop community-based tourism. A good case is Ngoi Tu village (Vu Linh
Commune, Yen Binh District).
Taking about 2 hours by motor-boat
from Huong Ly port in Thac Ba Lake (Yen Binh town), or by cars, motorbike (along
Dong Ho road), tourists arrive Ngoi Tu village. Vietnam Visa On Arrival
With the lake region
characteristics, the weather here is cold in winter and cool in summer. The
topography includes rocky mountain, hill, lake, fall, river and stream
alternately including Cao Bien mountain chain in the east of Thac Ba Lake and
Elephant mountain in the west making a romantic landscape.
Ngoi Tu village is home to Dao, Cao
Lan, Nung… ethnic people, mainly Dao quan trang (Dao people wear white trousers)
with more than 130 households. The villagers have well preserved traditional
handicraft (caving jewelry, embroidering, printing pattern on fabric with wax;
making ban paper); culture events (cap sac ceremony - an important ritual of Dao
men life, fire jumping festival, wedding ceremony); folk songs (giao duyen
singing, ken dancing, stick dancing); cuisine (lam rice, roast meat, manioc
wine, rice wine); folk games (stick pushing, walking on stilts, danh yen –
similar to badminton); and house architecture. Dao quan trang people live in
three room house-on-stilts making from separately components and linking by
bolts instead nails. The house has only one stair with odd footsteps.
Ngoi Tu has been invested to become
a culture-tourism village aiming to develop community-based tourism combining
with ecotourism. Now, Lavie Vu Linh Eco-lodge has come into operation with a
traditional 30 year-old house (a typical construction of Dao ethnic people),
studio duplex (a traditional wooden and bamboo house, containing 2 studios with
2 floors each), a timber and earth construction in a modern Dao style (6 rooms,
up to 3 people each, with a double bed, private bathroom). As a result, local
people have benefited directly from services such as: motel, dining, portering,
guiding, helping tourists do farmer work, making brocade products, handicrafts
or performing folklore.
Up to now, Ngoi Tu has attracted
many international tourists from Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Swiss
who feel happy with the environment and hospitality of local people.
Hong Thanh
|
Exploring Muong people’s culture identity in Giang Mo community-based tourism village
(TITC) - Located about 10km
to the west of Hoa Binh City,
Giang Mo Village (Binh Thanh Commune, Cao Phong District, Hoa Binh Province) is known as an attractive
community-based tourism destination with specific cultural values of Muong
ethnic group.
Highlight creating special attraction of the village is 100 stilt
houses of Muong people in the valley. The stilt houses in Giang Mo back
on the high land as hillsides, mountainsides to receive the air and include 3
floors, of which the top floor is used to hold foods and household items; the
middle floor to live and rest; the bottom floor to hold work instruments and
feed livestock, poultry. The size of the stilt house can be large or small but
the position of main door, stairs, water trough and mortars must not be
changed. The number of stair must be odd and the stairs must not be opposite
with the main door. The water trough is located in the left side of the house.
Along with the traditional stilt houses, Muong people in Giang Mo
have preserved many ancient production tools made of natural materials (wood,
bamboo…) as water supply system, rice mortars, hunting crossbow…
Currently, Giang Mo has 45 households participating in
community-based tourism. These households pay attention to environmental
protection; build toilets, bathrooms to serve tourists. In 2010, the culture
house of the village operated with the area of 500m2. At there, Muong cultural
life is reconstituted lively through unique art, cultural activities of the
villagers.
To Giang Mo, tourists will be enjoyed the typical dishes of Muong
people (steamed rice, boiled pork, grilled stream fish…); learned about Muong
culture through stories of homeowners, traditional crafts, brocade products
(bag, scarf, shirt…), instrument kinds... If staying overnight, tourists have
opportunity to enjoy unique dances in the sounds of drums, gongs, flutes,
monochords… and folk songs performed by Muong women and men. (Vietnam Visa On Arrival)
Community-based tourism development in Giang Mo not
only creates more jobs and increases income for villagers but also contributes
to conserving and promoting unique cultural values of Muong people as well as
helping the young generation improve their awareness of Muong culture
preservation.
Thu Giang
Hanoi develops craft village tourism
 (Vietnam Visa On Arrival) Hanoi's People's Committee issued Program 154/UBND-CT on developing
tourism associated with craft villages for the 2012-2015 period, with the aim of
creating favorable conditions for craft villages in the capital to promote their
strengths.
With 1,350 craft villages, including 244 traditional villages, Hanoi is
the country's largest home for craft villages. Hanoi's traditional craft
villages are particularly attractive for international and domestic traveler,
including Bat Trang Ceramic Village, Van Phuc Silk Village, Ha Thai Lacquer
Village, Son Dong Wood Carving Village, and Chuyen My Mosaic Village. Visiting
these craft villages, visitors will not just be interested in shopping, but also
in direct contact with artisans and participating in their work. Therefore,
these villages are indispensable destinations in the City's tour for many
tourists in recent years.
However, the biggest drawback in the development of craft village
tourism in Hanoi is that the infrastructure systems in these villages do not
meet requirements including substandard roads; lacks of electricity and clean
water, poor sanitation, less appealing exhibition of products. In addition,
tourism promotion activities and staff proved less effective and professional.
As a matter of fact, the city's tourism development has still not matched with
its potential despite increased number of tourists in recent years.
Taking that into account, Hanoi's People's Committee issued a
tourism-craft village development program fro the 2012-2015 period, which is
believed by travel experts, to contribute to improving the quality of tourism in
the city's craft villages.
The program aims at specific objectives of increasing the proportion of
industrial production value by craft villages to 8.4 percent against the city's
total industrial production value by 2015; the city's tourism revenue up from 16
to18 percent annually; and the number of tourists to 2.5-3 million, including
around 500,000 international travelers and more than two million domestic
tourists.
To achieve these objectives, the program has also set out a number of
tasks and key measures including picking out several craft villages with tourism
potential in Hanoi to develop traditional craft village tours; deploying tourism
infrastructure construction in the selected craft villages; organizing tours to
craft villages associated with visiting the historical and cultural monuments;
training human resource for the city's tourism sector; and promoting craft
village tourism via inter-regional cooperation.
The selected craft villages will have traditional houses, old houses
and architectural spaces preserved. In addition, craft households in these
villages will be supported in terms of production and exhibition of their
products.
According to travel experts, craft village tours will be deployed in
the 2012-2015 period, providing favorable conditions for Hanoi's tourism to
develop, introducing to visitors the unique quintessential features of the
capital city.
|
| Source: VEN |
Hue plans new services at heritage complex
 (Vietnam Visa On Arrival) The central province of Thua Thien –
Hue has adopted a programme on developing new services in the ancient imperial
city of Hue, with the aim of attracting even more tourists to the world heritage
site.
Under the programme, the province
will offer transport services using environmentally-friendly vehicles like
bicycles, electric cars, horse-drawn carriages and boats, to tourists to travel
between attractions in the city.
At Vong Canh hill, which overlooks
Perfume River, a pavilion will be built following the traditional architectural
style of Hue and telescopes installed to give visitors a chance to fully enjoy
the scenery. There will be tours bringing tourists from Vong Canh to other sites
such as Nam Giao altar, Ho Quyen (tiger fighting) arena – Voi Re temple, tombs
of Hieu Dong, Thieu Tri and Cao Hoang, and Hon Chen temple.
By late December, Hue welcomed
nearly 2 million visitors, earning a record 100 billion VND from sight-seeing
fees and services.
The complex of royal relics in Hue
was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The city was the capital
of Vietnam under the Nguyen dynasty from 1802 until 1945.
|
| Source: VNA |
Kien Giang welcomes over 3.8 million tourists
 The southern province of Kien Giang
has welcomed more than 3.8 million of tourirsts so far this year, up 3.25
percent compared to last year’s figure.
Kien Giang has a lot of beautiful
islands and beaches and historical relics which are attractive to tourists. But,
there is still a shortage of professional guides at their services.
Although its total revenues from
hotel and tourism services hit more than VND381 billion, the province is
focusing on creating unique tourism products to lure more local and foreign
visitors next year. Vietnam Visa On Arrival
|
| Source: VOV |
Dien Bien deploys community-based tourism type in the ethnic villages
(TITC) - With plentiful
tourism resources, the complex of Dien Bien Phu Victory historical relics and
unique, diverse cultural identity of 21 ethnic groups, Dien Bien has many
potentials to develop community-based tourism type associated with history.
In 2004, the province began to build community-based tourism model in
8 cultural villages in Dien Bien District and Dien Bien Phu City
including Noong Bua, Co My, Ten, U Va, Pe Luong, Phieng Loi, Him Lam 2 and Men.
Each village also established a team of 15 – 20 people to guide; serve cuisine,
arts and ensure security for tourists. Vietnam Visa On Arrival
Policy of community-based tourism development in the cultural villages
is a good condition to improve material and spiritual life for locals, at the
same time preserve and promote cultural identity. Therefore, many households
renovated and upgraded actively their houses, especially toilets, breeding
facilities; restored traditional crafts and festivals; participated in culture
and arts activities… Previously, villagers’ economic life was difficult but now
it has been significantly improved thanks to community-based tourism.
To Thai ethnic villages in Dien Bien, tourists will have opportunity
to participate in daily activities with the villagers; enjoy rustic foods with
mountainous flavor as grilled fish and meet, forest bamboo… and spices in the
Northwest region only as cham cheo, mac khen… When night falls, by the flickering
fire, tourists will be enjoyed unique art programs with specific songs and
dances of Thai people.
Besides the achievements, community-based tourism activity in Dien
Bien still faces many problems in need of solution such as all tourism villages
are Thai ethnic people’s, identical services (cuisine and art), there is no
special tourism products; tourism management staff in the villages still lack
of experience in implementing community-based tourism development…
To overcome those problems and create more plentiful, attractive
tourism products, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dien Bien
Province has set up the project “Building cultural villages to 2015”, of which
10 cultural villages located in importance tourist routes and associated with Thai,
Hmong, Lao, Kho Mu ethnic groups… in districts of Tuan Giao, Dien Bien, Muong
Cha and Dien Bien Phu City were chosen to set up. After being invested and
built, the villages will strive to welcome and serve annually 10-15% total
number of tourist to Dien
Bien Province.
Particularly, in 2015, the villages will welcome 55,000 tourist arrivals, of
which international tourists are 12,000 arrivals; each village will welcome
averagely over 4,000 tourist arrivals per year (20% as international tourists);
the average length of stay is 1 - 1.2 days per tourist arrival. To achieve this
goal, Dien Bien will focus on investing, constructing works to serve tourists;
restoring traditional crafts to produce souvenirs; training service skills for
the villagers…
Along with other provinces in the Northern mountainous region, Dien
Bien is exploiting gradually its potentials and advantages to develop
community-based tourism type, create opportunities for people to benefit from
resources, culture and landscapes. This is the right direction which not only
improves the villagers’ life but also contributes to conserving, preserving and
promoting unique traditional values of ethnic minority people in Dien Bien.
Thu Giang
Community tourism improves Giao Xuan eco-life
Just three hours drive from Hanoi,
Giao Xuan Village is a familiar stop for foreigners who enjoy the countryside
and prefer to stay with people in the local community rather than hang out in a
luxury hotel.
(Vietnam Visa On Arrival) From Hanoi, tourists can go in
groups of twenty people in a 29-seat car with each person only paying VND600,000
for the two-way transport cost. Budget travelers can take a coach from Giap Bat
coach station in Hanoi straight to Giao Xuan Village for just VND70,000 each.
Along the roads leading to the eco-village, tourists can enjoy rice fields and
green gardens along the National Road 21 towards the east.
“Giao Xuan Village now has 21
families who can accommodate tourists during their trip here and the homestay
services create an income of some VND800,000 for each family,” said Phung Thi
Thin, chairwoman of the village’s Cooporative of Community Tourism.
‘Homestay services’ explains Phung,
is the best choice for local people to live on without overexploiting the
natural resources such as seashell, shrimp as well as improving the
environmental condition of the village.
The village started its ‘community
tourism’ in April 2006 with only some simple projects like fish sauce
production, worm breeding, seashell breeding, and renovating the gardens to make
temporary sleeping places for the birds living in the Xuan Thuy national park,
which is some 10 kilometers from the village.
“Next year, the cooperative will
help develop five more houses having enough facilities to be ‘typical homestays’
so we can receive more tourists because numbers of visitors are increasing these
days,” Phung adds.
Giao Xuan is traditionally a farming
village, located in Xuan Thuy National Park in Nam Dinh Province. The growing
number of ecotourists has prompted local people to build new cement roads,
reorganize their livelihoods and develop a new respect for the environment.
Tran Thi Phuong, who used to be a
farmer in Giao Xuan village, now has six years of experience as a tourist guide
and says she loves her job because she earns more money and learns more about
life.
She said the village now has three
main teams to provide for community tourists, offering a traditional music
band, homestay houses and tourist guides.
“When I decided to change my job,
from farmer to a tourist guide, I and my team joined a tourism class in Hanoi.
However, I soon felt happy with my new job because it helps me improve my
knowledge,” Phuong told the Daily while she guides a media group from HCMC and
Hanoi to view a local house making very good fish sauce in the village.
On the small path leading to another
house in the village, the group could smell the fish sauce. It came from the
house of Mr Phung – who has spent nearly forty years making fish sauce from the
local catch.
Phung said his sauce, which has a
strong traditional salty taste, earns him around VND200 million each year,
partly thanking to the increasing number of tourists coming to the village.
His yard contains nine large
troughs, each filled with 1.8 tons of fish and 200 kilograms of salt. “After
nearly eight months, the mixed component will give some 600 liters of fish
sauce”, he said while opening one of the covers and releasing a pungent fish
smell.
Before saying goodbye to this old
fish sauce maker, some of the group bought some products as gifts to their
friends after the trip.
The media group were in the village
as guests of Ecolife Eco-service Company Limited, a social enterprise providing
work for the community in ecotourism. It is one of a growing number of social
enterprises, business models that priorities their social role over making
profits, that are spreading across Vietnam.
Source: SGT