Recently, a video of a group of foreign tourists helping people in Tuyen Quang province has received great attention. Specifically, this group of visitors did not hesitate to roll up their sleeves and wade through mud to clean up their houses and streets after being affected by storm No. 10 Bualoi.
Mr. Bui Ngoc Duong, owner of a homestay in Ha Giang 2 ward, shared about the video: "This is the first time I have seen foreign tourists doing anything to help people around here clean up after the flood. They all volunteered to do this job, all day long, from early morning to late afternoon".
Mr. Duong continuously uses the word "excessive love" to describe foreign tourists. According to his observations, today, they had a hard and hard day's work, not only helping to sweep mud into each house but they also clearing the streets to make traffic more convenient soon.
Mr. Nguyen Nhu Hoa, the tour operator, was also quite surprised by the actions of the foreign tourists. His group of about 30-40 people took turns helping the people on October 2.
This group of tourists traveled to Tuyen Quang province at the end of September. However, due to the impact of storm No. 10 Bualoi, floodwaters rose, so many areas in Tuyen Quang province (especially areas in the old Ha Giang) were submerged in floodwaters. Therefore, the group of tourists could not move or visit famous landscapes but were forced to stay at the homestay to ensure safety.
Mr. Hoa expressed: "This is an irresistible situation but the enthusiasm of the tourists is truly commendable. They are happy and consider helping people as a normal activity on the tour. They come from many different countries such as Brazil, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Germany...".
Normally, tourists using tours outside are transported by motorbike, sightseeing, and are also allowed to participate in local activities such as harvesting rice, sowing... Each 3-day, 2-night tour costs about 3.6 million VND/person.
However, perhaps this is the first time that tourists have participated in an activity with local people that is quite rare and unique. When recounting today, Mr. Hoa still clearly remembers the faces of tourists who were especially enthusiastic in sweeping, clearing mud and moving furniture to help people.
"To thank the tourists, we invited them to eat today. Although this storm caused a lot of damage, we also want to create the best conditions for tourists to visit the province. For tourists stuck here, we have proactively exempted them from room fees," said Mr. Hoa.
When the weather is dry, the streets are cleaner, daily activities return and visitors will have time to enjoy specialties. These will definitely be memorable memories of their time in Vietnam.
