Starting out in community tourism with only a passion for travel, Mr. Tran Van Bi (born in 1993, Ca Mau) not only brought positive impacts to the tourism industry of his hometown, but also brought unique experiences to tourists.
"Follow" passion
Returning home after 68 days of driving across Vietnam, in 2022, Mr. Bi decided to quit his stable job in Can Tho City and move back to his hometown in Tan Thanh Hamlet, Phong Lac Commune, Tran Van Thoi District. He is inherently a travel enthusiast, so on this journey, the more he traveled, the more opportunities he had to explore the culture of each region.
Besides, he has been exposed to many attractive eco-tourism and community tourism models in the localities. Therefore, from the bottom of his heart, Mr. Bi wishes to find a new direction in his work and has great faith in the tourism potential of his hometown.
“I see that in my hometown, homestays are not operating in the true sense of the word! Because, if you understand the concept of “homestay” correctly, tourists will eat, rest and live like the locals. That means whatever the host does, tourists will experience the same,” the 9X guy expressed.
Starting his new job, Mr. Bi first renovated his family's 5,000m2 plot of land into a garden homestay. The bedrooms are simply designed, with thatched roofs, preserving the simplicity of the Western people with a view of the garden and fish pond.
After completing the accommodation, he continued to come up with the idea of building an experience tour "A day as a Ca Mau person", connecting with some local households, to introduce the daily life of the people here to tourists.
“Generate” unique tours
Entering the tourism industry with only his initial passion, Mr. Bi was always filled with worries.
“I was afraid that I did not study properly and did not work professionally; therefore, tourists would not have a complete experience. At first, I only intended to do accommodation; then I came up with the idea of a “becoming a Ca Mau” tour and wanted to introduce the form of transporting tourists by motorbike to explore my hometown like many businesses in the North have done. At that time, I was afraid that my product was not clear...”, Bi Anh confided.
Gradually, after more than a year of implementing the idea, Mr. Bi said that at Thi Tuong lagoon, tourists will be guided by the locals to catch shrimp, crab, fish, set up fishing lines or dig for blood cockles, clams, and pick up water fern - also known as candle grass, which grows wild in the rivers of the West.
When registering for a tour to explore U Minh Ha forest, visitors will be able to go into the forest, catch fish with stoves, set traps to catch eels, set traps to catch mice, and especially harvest beehives. In addition, visitors also have the opportunity to participate in weddings and death anniversaries typical of the West.
Depending on the wishes of the tourists, Mr. Bi can completely design a multi-day tour while still ensuring uniqueness. Agricultural activities are seasonal, so the tour does not have specific, fixed activities.
Up to now, the 9X boss is still the only person accompanying and directly guiding tourists, so he prioritizes the experience of service users and limits group tours.
Mr. Bi shared that not only foreign tourists but also many Vietnamese groups or families signed up for his tours. Many families from the North or Central even drove to the homestay to participate in the activities.
“I remember a family of 5 traveling from Bac Giang to Ca Mau, but my house was quite far away, so when we arrived, the wife looked a bit “stubborn”. Of course, I was not affected by my emotions. As the main tour guide, I took the whole family to experience activities at Thi Tuong lagoon and U Minh forest for 2 days and 1 night according to the schedule. At the end of the trip, the wife’s feedback made me quite surprised and touched because the trip left her with many unforgettable impressions of Ca Mau”, said Mr. Bi.
Because this is a family-based tourism service business, Mr. Bi has "transformed" many of the tourists' requests into activities that are closer to real life.
For example, instead of tourists listening and watching professional artists perform traditional music, Mr. Bi will take tourists to drink and listen to karaoke. Because this is a habit of people in the West at the end of each drinking session.
“I am still a newbie in the tourism industry. Although I am still learning how to work professionally, I am still happy to have created a good effect, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists to the culture and life of Ca Mau people,” the 9X guy modestly expressed.
