Life becomes a tourism product
When the gentle waters of the Tien River surround the islands, such as Con Ho and Con Chim... we see the love of our homeland permeating every corner. Here, people have turned a peaceful lifestyle and farming into a warm community tourism product.
Ms. Hai (Con Ho) confided that since 2019, thanks to the regular number of visitors, her family has had a stable income. "Previously, gardening was very unstable. Now that there is tourism, children no longer have to work as workers in the city. The whole family works together, life is much happier" - Ms. Hai said.
Happiness does not stop at income. This model arouses great confidence in the community, helping people proudly tell the story of their homeland. Community tourism helps people keep their children and stabilize their livelihoods in the locality.
People tell their own stories, without commercial scripts. The fishing ditch and singing and singing of the male and female are conveyed through their own voices and practical experiences, creating a complete difference from the tour of the show.
Tourists deeply feel that the sincerity and rusticity are the anchor that keeps them. Mr. Tran Van Quyet - a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City - shared his impressions with very old stories about farming and the process of preserving the garden.
Mr. Quyet affirmed: "This is not an arranged performance. They talk naturally and happily. I heard and understood a lot about the people of the West. This sincerity has created a different value".
The respect for nature and sincere attitude of the people are factors that attract international visitors and overseas Vietnamese. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen - an overseas Vietnamese - said that what made her come back was not the beauty or the dishes.
Ms. Tuyen commented: "From the way they take visitors to the garden to each dish, I clearly feel the kindness and responsibility to nature and the environment. It is that attitude that creates sustainability".
Community tourism also opens up great opportunities for local OCOP products, creating dual economic benefits. Tourists not only experience but also have the opportunity to shop directly, creating stable output for agricultural products and handicrafts.
Tourists are directly involved in daily activities. The experience ofwatching the ditch to catch fish or cooking folk dishes by hand is a highlight, creating unforgettable, authentic memories.
Traditional dishes, the story of the male coffin are heritages that are transmitted naturally. Local people do not need to go through commercial training, but still tell the cultural story of their ancestors in the most intimate way.
Con Ho and Con Chim are becoming living proofs. When people truly master tourism activities, that model remains natural, unique and sustainable, and needs to be replicated.
turned professional community tourism
For the community tourism model to be effective, the role of local authorities and cooperatives is extremely important. They are a bridge to help people do professional tourism but still maintain their identity.
Mr. Le Van Tri - Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoa Minh commune (Con Chim) - commented that tourism is a driving force for the locality to build a model new rural area. This is an opportunity to improve the material and spiritual life of the people.
Mr. Tri emphasized: "You don't have to meet the standards and leave it there. The important thing is that people's lives must change substantially. When they see tourism as a source of income, they proactively participate and preserve their identity."
Mr. Tri said that the commune has coordinated with specialized units to guide people in tourism. The training content focuses on how to behave, clean the environment, and preserve local folk culture. The government's goal is to keep the rustic and rustic content, but still ensure professionalism in the reception stage. This is to serve long-term and sustainable tourists.
On the side of the cooperative, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Van - Director of Con Chim Community Tourism Cooperative - is making efforts to improve the quality of services. The cooperative has improved the process to suit the new needs of customers. "We welcome guests with sincerity but still try to improve service standards. This helps community tourism both preserve culture and ensure professionalism" - Ms. Van shared.
The Cooperative also proposed upgrading the OCOP for tourism products from 3 stars to 4 stars to affirm service quality. Community tourism helps more than 50 local workers have stable jobs, earning from 5 - 15 million VND/month. Ms. Van affirmed that community tourism must preserve culture but must also be professional to be sustainable. The harmonious combination of tradition and expertise will create a difference.
However, according to Ms. Van, the economic benefits are only a part. More importantly, tourism helps the community have more motivation to preserve cultural values such as the gentlemen's Choir and folk festivals. Cultural values such as traditional fishing gear, folk festivals become a unique story to tell visitors. This creates a connection between culture and sustainable livelihoods. Community tourism is the perfect piece for Hoa Minh commune to achieve the model new rural goal. It is not only about the economy but also about comprehensively improving the quality of life.
Creating sustainable livelihoods
Talking with us, Mr. Duong Hoang Sum - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vinh Long - highly appreciated the movement of community tourism on the islets. This is the right direction, effectively exploiting local potential.
According to Mr. Sum, the tour linkage between Ben Tre - Vinh Long - Tra Vinh brings a more stable and diverse flow of customers. This helps new community tourism models have greater access to the market.
Mr. Sum emphasized that the potential of island tourism lies not only in the landscape but also in indigenous culture and traditional livelihoods. Culture is a valuable asset that needs to be preserved and promoted. "The valuable thing is that people do business right on their land, without having to leave the land. They understand cultural values and become the ones to preserve and promote their homeland, Mr. Sum affirmed.
Mr. Sum believes that when tourism is associated with agricultural livelihoods, poverty reduction will become much more sustainable. This cohesion creates a dual driving force for economic and cultural development.
Regarding the direction in the coming time, the industry aims to continue to recognize more tourist attractions according to the 2017 Tourism Law. This is to improve the legality and quality of tourism services. The industry will expand surveys of river routes to connect islets. The goal is to create a more seamless and attractive series of experiences for visitors to Vinh Long.
Tourism products will be promoted based on agricultural specialties and unique cultural and historical values. This is a way for visitors to enjoy and learn more about Vinh Long. The industry will also promote green tourism, adapt to climate change and move towards the Net Zero goal. This is an urgent requirement to ensure long-term sustainability.
Mr. Sum believes that the core of community tourism in Vinh Long is "taking culture as the root". All tourism development activities must be based on a traditional value foundation. In this vision, people are identified as the center of all tourism activities. The role of the community is the key to the success of the model. When people master cultural and natural resources and benefit directly from tourism, the model will develop naturally and sustainably according to market rules.
We expect Vinh Long islets to continue to shine as green, unique highlights in the Tien River, Mr. Sum expressed optimism and hope.
