(HBO) – Mai Chau district is an outstanding tourist draw in Hoa Binh province. The provincial People’s Committee has approved a master plan to develop Mai Chau district into a national tourism site with local homestays hanging "Homestay ASEAN” award during 2016-2018. Currently, the district is focusing on calling for investments in tourism, seeing it as a spearheaded economy.
Photo:
Suoi Lon resort in Tan Mai commune (Mai Chau district) is being constructed.
Upon completion, it will serve demand of tourists inside and outside the
province.
Seeing
the significance of tourism development in Mai Chau district, the Resolution of
the 25th Congress of the provincial Party Organisation for 2015-2020
period set target of developing community-based tourism in companion with
building new-style rural areas. Particularly, in October 2016, the provincial
People’s Committee gave the green light to a master plan to develop Mai Chau
into a national tourism site by 2030. Thus, the district’s culture-sport division
has been entrusted to popularise Mai Chau’s images to attract investment.
Due attention has been given to developing workforce in tourism sector and
technical infrastructure. Currently, Mai Chau houses 146 accommodations with
seven hotels, 21 guest houses and 117 homestays. There are 13 community-based
villages with standout accommodations like Mai Chau Ecolodge resort (Na Phon
commune), Villas Mai Chau (Mai Hich commune), Lac village (Chieng Chau commune),
Pom Cong (Mai Chau town) and Hich village (Mai Hich commune).
Diverse tourism products have made Mai Chau attractive to both
domestic and foreign tourists. Revenue from tourism services, as a result,
remarkably increased, contributing to increasing state budget collection and
improving local livelihoods. Last year, the district earned over nearly 89.38
billion VND from welcoming 324,536 tourists, including 99,314 foreigners and
225,222 domestic travellers.
The district has attracted investors in various projects like Mai Chau
Ecolodge, Sol Bungalows together with branching out community-based tourism in
Lac, Van and Poom Cong villages.
According to the province’s master plan, 710 hectares will be zoned off for
tourism development with 16 investment projects and 12 others supporting tourism
development. Key areas will be Mai Chau town, Chieng Chau commune and communes
in the vicinity like Tong Dau and Na Phon.
By the end of 2017, the district has seven tourism projects with total
registered capital of 83 billion VND, 56 billion VND of which was disbursed.
Roads connecting local tourist attractions have been upgraded, repaired or newly
constructed.
Also, the district is calling businesses to expand investments in Phuc San, Tan
Dan and Tan Mai communes. Some eco-tourism projects are being carried out in
Tan Mai and Noong Luong communes with total investment of tens of millions VND.
Once completion, the communes will be alluring destinations for domestic and
foreign visitors.
Hoa Binh province’s rich natural and cultural resources position it as a prime location for developing community-based tourism (CBT). In recent years, support from central and provincial policies, as well as assistance from non-governmental organisations, have encouraged local ethnic minority and mountainous communities to actively engage in the sector.
Van Son Commune, Tan Lạc district, Hoa Binh province also known as "Cloud Valley," boasts a cool climate, stunning natural landscapes, and majestic scenery. Visitors who have been to this place should make a stop at Chien Hamlet to experience a lot of fascinating things and feel the friendly, warmth of the Muong ethnic people.
Thanks to the effective exploitation of natural landscape and the cultural diversity of ethnic minorities, Hoa Binh province has become an attractive destination for tourists seeking experiences and exploration.
The Department of Cultural Heritage has just coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hoa Binh province to organize a training on implementing the model of the cultural heritage connected in the cultural tourism journey in Cao Phong and Lac Son districts.
The Sung village in Cao Son commune, Da Bac district, is endowed with pristine natural landscape, and Dao Tien ethnic minority community in the village preserves rich cultural heritage, including traditional housing, clothing, language, scripts, customs, and daily life practices. Since the community-based tourism model was introduced in the locality, these traditional cultural values have been further preserved and promoted.