With many tourism potentiality and diversified culture of 23 ethnic groups, Ha Giang is able to develop many kinds of tourism. In order to keep balance between protect natural resources and develop sustainable tourism, Ha Giang Tourism Department chooses community tourism because it requires small capital investment, makes attractive tourism products, conserve traditional handicrafts, improve local life.
Addressing at the seminar “Community tourism – Reality and sustainable development solution”, Mr. Vuong Mi Vang, vice director of People’s Committee of Ha Giang, said: tourism is key industry of province and community tourism is breakthrough due to effective exploit Ha Giang tourism potentiality. On August 14th, 2006, People’s Committee of Ha Giang enforced Action Plan 35/CTHĐ-UB in order to “build community tourism cultural village in each district and step by step improve material, moral needs of ethnic groups”. Up to now, Ha Giang has 25 community tourism cultural villages with total of capital investment in infrastructure reaches 6,808 million VND, in which people contribute 3,647 million; 25 community tourism training courses was held in villages for 1,500 people; organized tours to learn community tourism model in Mai Chau, Sa Pa. In 2007, some of hamlets such as Tha, Tien Thang, Buc Ban… has welcomed thousands domestic and international tourists and traditional handicraft like rattan products, ethnic clothes are special souvenir. Local people awake to their role and take part in community tourism activities. So that, local people life was improved, traditional handicraft was restored and aware of environment protection was raised. However, according to Mr. Nguyen Trung Thuong, director of Ha Giang Cultural and Information Department, some of community tourism cultural villages have not meet criterion of tradition, cultural character, and environment. They only have restaurant service but do not have enough condition for visitors overnight. Due to develop community tourism in Ha Giang, Mr. Vu The Binh, director of Travel Department – VNAT said: the province should concentrate in potential areas such as Dong Van, Quan Ba, Hoang Su Phi, Xin Man, Bac Me. It is necessary to make general and detail plan for community tourism routes which have special culture and diversified ecological. At once, it needs to reduce the impact of tourism activities on environment. It requires authorities and companies pay attention to the benefit of local people. Ha Giang should have policies to attract investment in environment friendly tourism; concentrate on human resource training on specialist skills and environment protection; encourage local people to maintain cultural feature and develop traditional handicraft…
