Potentials of Community Tourism in Vietnam

Ones travelling to Vietnam would have chance to enjoy various forms of community tourism as visiting traditional craft villages, tasting pure ambiance of nature, taking agricultural tours, exploring unique cultural characteristics of ethnic minorities in remote areas…
The most interesting activity that many travellers love is homestay – in which they stay at local residents’ homes for a certain period of time and take part in household work as well as festive activities in the area to enjoy a new experience.
Tourism – an effective tool for poverty alleviation
Mai Chau Valley (Hoa Binh Province), 130km far from capital city of Hanoi, has been a favourable destination for domestic and international visitors. Thanks to tourism development, the life of ethnic people in the region is becoming better, while local infrastructure is being considerably improved. Pom Coong and Lac are named among most typical community tourism villages.
Instead of producing only handkerchieves and dresses made of brocade, village women now are weaving Thai scarfs and skirts, decorated square-shaped pieces of fabric, beautiful bracelets, wallets…; men are making bows, crossbows, wooden bells… for souvenirs. Tourism generates the main revenue for local community in Mai Chau. Since early of this year, Mai Chau tourism has attracted nearly 14,000 tourist arrivals, gained VND6 billion from tourism.
Sa Pa District (Lao Cai Province), being one of the destinations of rich experience in community tourism with famous villages of Cat Cat, Sin Chai, Lao Chai, Ta Van…, drew 80,000 arrivals in 2008. The development of community tourism in Sa Pa has significantly contributed to poverty alleviation, helping improve life of ethnic minorities. Sin Chai village, for instance, whose 68% of households were rated poor in 2000, has reduced the proportion to 26%. Poverty household rates in other villages have also been lowered rapidly owing to tourism development. Local residents involving in tourism business have been increasing fast, e.g 120 out of 360 Mong ethnic residents in Cat Cat village are participating in doing tourism and service business: selling goods, xe om (motorbike taxis), selling brocade products, tour guides, performing cultural shows…
According to statistics, incomes of households involving in tourism and service business are 2-2.5 times higher than those who are doing completely agricultural work.
Community tourism has been widely developed in other regions throughout the country. In ancient town of Hoi An, tourists would have chance to go fishing together with fishermen; or to live a farmer-life in countryside of Cuu Long River Delta.
Preserving traditional cultural characteristics
Community tourism development, while proving to be suitable to traditional Vietnamese culture, has been a matter for debate. In addition to economic benefits, the invasion of oversea cultures has, to some extent, deterioted traditional cultural features, which would lessen the attractiveness of the destinations to visitors.
Lac Village (Mai Chau, Hoa Binh) was a really attractive homestay destination in the past. Travellers from everywhere came here to experience daily life, cultural activities of local people. On the other hand, that many visitors within the country and abroad flock to the village has distorted the brandname of a true homestay destination. Visitors have to pay money for almost their requirements and traditional culture is not well-preserved. They do not have feeling of living in ethnic daily life like before. Many tourists complain about the modernisation in traditional cultural features or local people who follow them closely to offer goods and commodities, which displeased them.
Obviously, the development of community tourim is a right direction in Vietnam. Nevertheless, there needs to be effective methods to protect and preserve traditional cultural characteristics, helping raise life quality of ethnic residents and inspire visitors to the areas.