In mid-October, Ha Van Sem (born in 1959), a Thai ethnic and a member of the farmers’ association of Na Chieng hamlet, Na Phon commune (Mai Chau), was the only representative of Hoa Binh province to be named in the top 100 outstanding farmers nationwide

Ha Van Sem (far left), an outstanding Vietnamese farmer in 2023, succeeds with a model of community-based tourism associated with high-end resort services.


Sem shared: "My family has been doing this job since 2017. In the process of accumulating experience and expanding the model, I fearlessly built several stilt houses and works to serve tourists. Having achieved the current results, I do not forget the encouragement and help of all-level agencies, especially the district and commune farmers' associations, which have created conditions for me to approach, grasp market needs, and take vocational classes on tour guides, cooking, and restaurant management.”

Currently, his family has a spacious, environmentally friendly homestay with service prices ranging from 1.5 - 2 million VND (61-82 USD) per stilt house per day. Tourists can rent luxury accommodations fully equipped with living amenities for 1.5 million VND per room per day.

Currently, many tourists choose Sem's homestay facility. He himself is continuously learning and gaining experience to serve visitors thoughtfully and increasingly professionally. In 021 - 2023, his facility has achieved an average revenue of 1.3 billion VND a year, with a profit of 700 - 800 million VND. Sem’s model is welcoming more and more foreign visitors, mainly from Europe and Asia, along with domestic holiday-makers from Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, and Thai Binh. The facility creates jobs for 11 labourers with an average income of over 5 million VND a person a month.

In particular, as a "leader" of farmers working in tourism, he personally actively helps other members by creating jobs from tourism-related services, encourages others to protect the environment, ensure food hygiene and safety, and get engaged in social work and movements in the locality. He also regularly encourages and helps association members to develop business and tourism services imbued with Thai ethnic identity.

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