Sustainable livelihoods through tourism
Mr. Ly Quoc Thang is one of more than 30 Dao ethnic households in Nam Dam village that have been providing homestay services to tourists for nearly 8 years. Thanks to traveling, the family's life has changed a lot.
Before 2017, Mr. Thang's whole family could only grow on the corn field and raise buffalo and cows, but their income was also unstable due to the impact of weather and epidemics. Before the harvest, their rice had run out of stock, and hunger was everywhere.
Since participating in homestaying and welcoming tourists from Nam Dam village, Mr. Thang did not expect it to be a big turning point in his family's life. Thanks to providing services to tourists, my family's income has stabilized.
"Initial investment capital such as repairing houses and purchasing furniture is already supported by preferential loans. The number of visitors has also gradually increased steadily thanks to the government's support in promoting tourism. Now there are customers who book on weekdays.
Thanks to traveling, the family escaped poverty, and their monthly income was more than 8 million VND, much better in peak season. Currently, the family is investing in some more rooms to welcome guests during peak season," said Mr. Thang.
Recently, Mr. Ly Quoc Loc's stilt house has also taken on a new look compared to many years ago. Since working in community tourism and providing accommodation services for guests, Mr. Loc has focused more on taking care of his traditional house.
Mr. Loc's family's house still retains the structure of the rammed house in accordance with the traditional customs of the Dao people, from decoration to construction. The only thing is that the newly built toilet system meets the needs of tourists.
"To build a qualified homesaty facility, it will take from a few tens to a few hundred million, the State will partially support, the rest will be self-mobilized capital. Once completed, it can be exploited long-term and have a stable source of income.
For the past few years, it has been a way to escape poverty, before, they ate a lot of food every day, the young buffalo was sold. Now that I have a stable income, I am less worried about hunger," Mr. Loc confided.
Currently, Nam Dam has more than 30 households qualified to welcome guests to stay according to ASEAN standards. Tourism income reaches about 40 million VND/person/year. synthesizing services, Nam Dam also earns about 2 billion VND each year.
Tourists coming to Nam Dam are all impressed by the pristine beauty of this Dao village. In contrast to the bustling modern society, the Dao people here still maintain a slow pace of life, blend with nature, preserve architecture and culture.
Surrounding the village are majestic mountains, primeval forests, lake and waterfall systems where visitors can row boats or fish. In addition, the village is a medicinal plant growing area and has an on-site processing cooperative, contributing to taking care of the health of people and tourists.
Having been to Nam Dam many times, Ms. Hoang Tran Trang (Hanoi) is still very impressed with the beauty of the natural landscape and the cultural identity of the people here.
"Every year I go to the Dong Van Stone Plateau and visit Nam Dam village, visiting once during the day, sleeping once and each time having very unique experiences.
It is the harmony between people, culture and nature that makes Nam Dam a unique outstanding destination," Ms. Trang shared.
Nam Dam not only attracts tourists with its scenery and peace, but also creates its own brand from the cultural identity of the Dao ethnic group. All households in the village maintain a typical housework, keep handicrafts and wear traditional daily costumes. The most valuable thing is that people do tourism but do not exchange their identity.
Ly Thi Pay is currently the youngest homestay owner in Nam Dam, people in the village still call Pay "the owner of 9X". Originating from her love for her homeland and her desire to work with the villagers to have a sustainable livelihood, Ly Thi Pay has devoted much of her passion to community tourism.
Ly Thi Pay and her husband are very knowledgeable about the traditions and culture of the indigenous Dao people, so visitors to the family homestay can also hear unique stories and customs of the local people.
Ms. Pay shared: Every time I talk about the village, I feel like being introduced to a part of the simple but honest Dao ethnic group.
Everyone wants to make an income by doing tourism, but the more important thing is to preserve the culture of their ethnic group. Therefore, from the way we dress, cook to the way we build a house, we always keep the same as our ancestors.
From doing tourism, the younger generation here has begun to understand, love and be more proud of their national cultural identity. Many young people have returned to learning Dao writing, learning about traditional culture to do tourism, building more homestays in a creative style while still preserving traditional features, creating more diversity for Nam Dam tourism.
According to Mr. Ly Ta Danh - Head of Nam Dam village, the whole village has more than 60 households, all of whom are Dao ethnic people. In the past, the whole village was very poor, with mainly land and infrastructure for tourism, so there were few visitors.
"Since focusing on developing community tourism, Nam Dam has been like " thucading" in a new lifestyle. Tour households have all changed their thinking towards professionalism, some have cooked, some have welcomed, and taken tour guides. Especially the number of international visitors to the village accounts for the majority," said the Head of Ly Ta Danh Village.
Changing thinking to make an economy, preserving indigenous culture
In Nam Dam, every person can become a tour guide, not only because they are local people but their thinking has been changed thanks to the practical results that help change the lives that tourism brings.
In contrast to the bustling modern society, the Dao people here still maintain a slow pace of life, blend with nature, preserve architecture and culture. Surrounding the village are majestic mountains, primeval forests, lake and waterfall systems where visitors can row boats or fish.
In addition, the village is a medicinal plant growing area and has an on-site processing cooperative, contributing to taking care of the health of people and tourists. It is the harmony between people, culture and nature that makes Nam Dam a unique outstanding destination.
Agricultural tourism is currently an impressive product, attracting international tourists to and from Nam Dam. In addition to performing arts activities, international visitors especially love the authentic experience associated with Dao people's lives such as bathing in traditional medicine leaves, gardening, participating in fish catching festivals or cooking with homeowners.
These activities not only help visitors relax in peaceful nature but also live in the indigenous cultural space, clearly feeling the spirit of community solidarity and the friendliness and hospitality of the people.
From a small village nestled in the middle of a valley, Nam Dam has today become a bright spot on the community tourism map, becoming a model ethnic minority residential area of the province.
After more than 12 years of building a community tourism cultural village, Nam Dam has been awarded the title of "A place to rent for tourists with rooms that meet ASEAN standards" and the ASEAN community tourism award in 2023.
With a solid cultural foundation and the consensus of the community, Nam Dam is aiming for a sustainable tourism development future, ensuring the livelihoods of the people and also contributing to preserving traditional identity while expanding the opportunity to experience for tourists.
