Da Bia hamlet, now Duc Phong, in Tien Phong commune, Da Bac district, was once almost isolated from the outside as the only way to the hamlet was to get a boat ride across the Hoa Binh reservoir. However, as its tourism potential has been unleashed, the hamlet has established itself as one of the most attractive destinations on the tourism map. It has even received the ASEAN Community-Based Tourism Awards in 2019.
Bui
Thi Nhem (R), who is running a homestay in Duc Phong, briefing tourists on the
self-service shop model.
Ban Thi Kim Quy, Vice Chairwoman of the district
People's Committee, stressed that the beautiful natural landscapes, rich
culture, and changing mindset have helped turn tourism into a key economic
sector, generating numerous jobs and improving living standards, particularly for
ethnic minority communities.
This transformation is evident not only in Duc Phong
but also in other hamlets engaging in community tourism throughout the
district, she said, taking the example of Sung hamlet in Cao Son commune, which
has emerged to a bright spot in community tourism from a poor, isolated
locality.
According to Ly Sao Mai, from Da Bac Community-Based
Tourism JSC in Sung hamlet, among the 75 Dao households there, only a few are
currently running homestays, while the others have actively contributed to
local tourism development by offering products and tour guide services.
Quy said over the past years, apart from
implementing action programmes and plans on community tourism, the district has
paid attention tourism promotion, market connectivity, and brand building.
The district expects to welcome 550,000 visitors by
2025, of them 25,000 international, and earn over 297 billion VND (11.91
million USD) from the tourism sector.
Spanning thousands of hectares and winding gracefully along mountain slopes, hillsides, and riverbanks, the terraced rice fields of Lac Son District present a stunning and captivating beauty. This region, renowned for its remarkable terraced landscapes, is also the centre of Hoa Binh Culture known for numerous archaeological sites.
The life of Mong people in Hang Kia and Pa Co communes of Mai Chau district has improved much thanks to tourism development.
The man-made Hoa Binh Lake, with a water surface area of approximately 9,000 hectares and a capacity of 9.45 billion cubic meters, stretches over 200 kilometers from Hoa Binh to Son La provinces. With the goal of developing into a national tourism area, the Hoa Binh Lake tourism area is expected to not only become the largest tourism centre in the province but also one of the 12 key tourist destinations in the northern midland and mountainous region of Vietnam.
In the first 9 months of 2024, Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province welcomed over 684 thousand visitors to visit and relax. In which, over 516 thousand domestic visitors and more than 168 thousand international visitors. Total revenue from tourism is estimated at over 821 billion VND.
Da Bac district, bestowed with stunning landscapes, is developing ecological and resort tourism offerings. Several tourist sites, put into operation this year, has attracted throngs of high-spending and young domestic visitors.
In the first nine months of 2024, Da Bac district has intensified efforts in preserving and promoting the cultural values of ethnic groups in tandem with community-based tourism development. Many cultural tourism products have been built on the basis of preserving and maintaining the architecture of ethnic minority houses as well as traditional crafts such as making do (poonah) paper, brocade weaving, embroidery, and indigo dyeing.
