Natural beauty and rich traditional culture are proving advantageous for many localities in the central province of Thua Thien Hue, which are making great strides in their development of community-based tourism.
WATER WORLD: The wild beauty of A No Waterfall near A No community tourism village in A Luoi District. VNA/VNS Photo Do Truong
The mountain district of A Luoi has preserved the unique cultural identity of ethnic minorities such as the Co Tu, Pa Co and Ta Oi, and the immense primaeval forests of the majestic Truong Son Mountain Range have emerged as an outstanding draw for tourists from near and far.
The creation of tourism villages and cooperatives across the district focusing on presenting the traditional and cultural identities of local ethnic people through high-quality tourism services has increasingly lured visitors to the area, particularly during national holidays and after the pandemic.
Ho Thi Tram said her native A Nor in Hong Kim Commune became a community-based tourism village about three years ago with the support of a foreign-funded project.
The provincial authorities issued a resolution on supporting community-based tourism through to 2025.
The village is home to the Pa Co ethnic group, which boasts a rich traditional identity featuring folk singing and the community festivals of A Rieu Piing and A Rieu A Da.
"First, the local households encouraged to attend training courses on the new way of 'doing tourism' were bewildered, but they gradually became more familiar with it," said Tram.
"They were trained in organising community events, hosting rooms, and communicating with tourists, including foreigners. This has helped them improve their tourism knowledge and preserve their distinct culture."
Due to this, tourism has significantly contributed to improving local people's living standards.
A Nor Waterfall
Besides the daily customs and folk games that still prevail today, not too far from the village, the A Nor Waterfall Site provides an idyllic place for swimming and relaxing with its three waterfalls of varying sizes.
Located in Hong Kim Commune, about 2km from the centre of A Luoi District and 60km from Hue City, the waterfall is becoming a standout community tourism destination in the province.
Along the concrete road leading to the waterfall are several traditional stilt houses hidden under a canopy of beautiful green trees, ready to welcome visitors for an overnight stay.
After being affected by the pandemic for a long time, A Nor community tourism village is vibrant again. Thousands of tourists have been arriving here to experience the local culture, enjoy the cuisine, and immerse themselves in the cool water at the foot of A Nor Waterfall while admiring the majestic wild mountain scenery.
The waterfall has two layers, including a serene 2m deep 'swimming pool' that sparkles an emerald green.
With substantial investment in tourism infrastructure and reasonable accommodation prices, of about VND200,000 per person, per night, A Nor Village provides an environmentally-friendly tourist spot that should not be missed when visiting Thua Thien Hue.
"Most of the village's household representatives were cooperative members and participated in self-management teams to protect the forest. This creates a close connection while sustainably developing tourism," the Director of the Cooperative of A Nor Community-based and Ecotourism Village, Hoang Thanh Duy, said.
TRADITIONAL LIVING: A stilt house is used as a homestay for tourists in A No Village, Hong Kim Commune. The village has succeeded in community tourism since it was supported by a foreign-funded project. VNA/VNS Photo Do Truong
"Members of the cooperative are trained in tourism skills and creating local tourism products. Coming to the community tourism village, visitors can learn and discover many specialities of the mountain area here, such as A Luoi beef, sticky rice and wild honey.
"They can also buy local handicrafts made of rattan and bamboo, wood carving and woven products."
A Luoi District is developing tourism as an important economic sector, with local traditional cultural conservation combined with environmental protection and safety.
Vice Chairman of A Luoi People's Committee Ho Van Ngum said the district had potential for tourism development due to its cool climate, majestic unspoiled landscapes and indigenous communities rich in cultural identity as well as being located on the historical Ho Chi Minh Trail.
"Besides a community tourism model, the district also aims to enrich and diversify local tourism products, contributing to the attraction of tourists. It has regularly organised cultural and festive activities on traditional food and gong performances," Ngum said.
"The locality has contracted 100 households to protect forests in 39 communities, from which many community-based tourism spots have been formed."
FLOWERING TOURISM: Van The Garden & Homestay is a much-loved community-based tourism experience in Huong Thuy Town. Photo baothuathienhue.vn
Huong Thuy ambition
In its goals of tourism development by 2025, Huong Thuy Town, a locality with emerging strength in community-based tourism, is targeting to welcome 250,000 visitors, including 30-40 per cent of foreigners, to bring in a revenue of VND400 billion (US$17 million).
The town regards community-based tourism as its main money-spinner, accounting for a high proportion of its economic structure. It has several strong foundations to build upon its goals.
The locality has strengths in ecological diversity, cultural identity and scenic spots. A high density of rivers, waterfalls and rapids has created wonderful natural scenes, such as the waterfalls of Da Dam, Chin Chang and Khe De, as well as the lakes of Ta Trach, Khe Loi, Bau Ho, Chau Son and Ba Cua. There is also an abundance of primary forests and prestigious historical and cultural relics.
Several traditional arts and crafts, such as hat-making, incense sticks, blacksmithing and knitting, and various customs and habits of the indigenous people, are maintained through a plethora of festivals.
The town is also located near Phu Bai International Airport, not far from Chan May-Lang Co economic zone and coastal Da Nang City.
Such factors all create favourable conditions for the locality to expand trade and integration with the whole country and wider Southeast Asia while boosting the provision of community-based eco-tours.
ALL SMILES: Visitors enjoy staying at a community-based tourism homestay in Huong Thuy Town. Photo baothuathienhue.vn
Ngo Thi Ai Huong, vice chairwoman of the People's Committee of Huong Thuy Town, said community-based tourism created a model in which the residential community both directly provides products and services and is responsible for protecting tourism resources.
"This reciprocity helps tourism develop, creates more jobs, and increases income for local communities," Huong said. "It is only when people really benefit that community-based tourism can develop and succeed."
A series of community initiatives and projects is ensuring that the culturally rich and stunning scenery throughout Thua Thien-Hue makes the province a tourist draw in the country's central region.