(HBO) – In late July, the Hoa Binh Tourism Investment joint Stock Company organised a two-day tour of new tourism products in Hoa Binh Lake for representatives of travel firms in Hanoi. From Thung Nai port, visitors toured Hoa Binh Lake by boat to admire the beauty of the "Ha Long Bay on land” and then got off in Ngoi village of Ngoi Hoa commune (Tan Lac district) – an ancient village of the Muong ethnic group on the bank of the lake. Without roads, it is completely isolated and so still keeps its pristine beauty and traditional customs of local residents.



Muong girls beat gongs to welcome visitors to the community-based tourism area of Ngoi village, Ngoi Hoa commune (Tan Lac district).

Coming to Ngoi village, travelers learnt about the cultural and culinary identities of Muong people, explored the beauty of caves there, played 34 water games at Vietnam’s biggest floating water park recently opened in Ngoi village, and took part in a teambuilding activity – raft racing on Ngoi Hoa Bay. In the evening, they joined young Muong ethnics in singing and dancing. At dawn, visitors also followed Ngoi villagers to fish in the lake, which is an interesting experience of the local daily life.

The second day of the tour was to go trekking from Ngoi village to Ba Khan commune of Mai Chau district. Along the 6.5km route that skirts the mountain and traverses fields and streams, tourists enjoyed the imposing natural landscapes and pure climate of this mountainous area. Finishing the trip, they went by car from Ba Khan to Hoa Binh city.

The Hoa Binh Tourism Investment joint Stock Company made a daring decision which is investing 84 billion VND in re-building Hoa Binh I Hotel with 50 three-star rooms, and equipping two three-star tourist boats to serve visitors on Hoa Binh Lake – an important highlight in the province’s tourism industry that aims to provide holiday makers with high-quality accommodation and waterway transport services.

With a view to changing old tourism services, not only selling existing products but also selling things that visitors need, the company has spent five years on developing tourism products and surveying all places of interest in the province. As a result, more diverse and new tourism products have been created, satisfying tourists’ specific demand, such as German and French travelers who prefer cultural exploration while British and Dutch visitors who love sports, cycling and trekking activities.

In April 2016, the firm implemented the Robinson eco-tourism site in Sung Island of Tien Phong commune, Da Bac district, with total investment of about 700 billion VND (30.8 million USD). While seeking new tourism products, the company realised that Ngoi village gathers sufficient factors to develop community-based tourism. It decided to develop tourism here with total spending of 400 billion VND (17.6 million USD). Ngoi village is considered a step for the company to practice community-based tourism development in surrounding areas. The business has also equipped locals with tourism knowledge and skills, thereby helping to improve their livelihoods and living standards.

A favourable condition is that community-based tourism in Ngoi village was developed after other areas, so careful steps have been taken right from the beginning. However, it is difficult to change residents’ mindset so that they can understand and join efforts in sustainably developing tourism.


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