(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.
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.
