(HBO) - Along with attracting investment in tourism projects around Hoa Binh lake, Hoa Binh province has also paid due attention to training tourism skills for local people in order to create sustainable livelihoods and better their living conditions, said Do Le Phuong, Deputy Head of the Tourism Division under the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Photo: An amateur art troupe of
Da Bia hamlet, Tien Phong commune (Da Bac district) is performing to serve
tourists
In
2017, the provincial Department of
Culture, Sports and Tourism has joined hands with relevant agencies to work out
a plan to train and improve tourism skills for local people in communes around
the Hoa Binh lake. The department advised the provincial People’s Committee to
call for investors to build tourism products in Hoa Binh lake.
Home-stay tourism skills were provided for 42 households offering community-based
tourism services in Ngoi hamlet (Ngoi Hoa commune), Ke hamlet (Hien Luong
commune) and Da Bia hamlet (Tien Phong commune) through a training course
jointly held by the department and
Hanoi
Tourism
College.
They were equipped with basic home-stay tourism knowledge such as service
quality management, communication skills, tourist serving at accommodations and
food processing. After the training course, the local people were enabled to
take part in fact-finding trips to study the community-based tourism model of
Mong ethnic minority people in Hua Tat village, Moc Chau district, Son La
province.
Dinh Quy Huu, a homestay owner in Ke hamlet, said that: "The training course
brought us useful knowledge to run community tourism. In addition to raising
our awareness of developing tourism while maintaining ethnic identities, it
also encourages us to increase investment in accommodations and improve tourism
product quality to better serve tourists’ demands.”
Following the training course, some households decided to shift from
agricultural production to home-stay tourism business, he said, adding that
three more families will pursue this model in the coming time, bringing the total
number of home-stay service providers in the commune to five.
There
is a substantial increase in the number of visitors to Ke village to experience
the life and culture here, thus helping improve local livelihoods and preserve
cultural values in the commune.
Recently, two professional training courses were organized for 240 people who
are responsible for transporting and serving tourists on ships in Hoa Binh lake.
The trainees were updated basic knowledge and skills on river eco-tourism, Hoa
Binh tourism, tourism regulations, waterway transport law, environmental
protection, communication skills and emergency aid.
The department also conducted surveys at community-based tourism sites to
provide blankets, pillows and loudspeakers for families running home-stay
tourism services as well as amateur art teams in Ngoi Hoa and Hien Luong
communes./.
Le Chung
Covering an area of over 52,000 hectares spanning districts of Mai Chau, Tan Lac, Cao Phong, Da Bac, and Hoa Binh City, Hoa Binh lake has strong potential for tourism development. In recent years, thanks to the attention of local Party Committees and authorities as well as support from international organisations, the advantages of tourism in the lake area have been utilised.
Mai Chau is a mountainous district and home to many ethnic groups such as Thai, Muong, Kinh, Mong, Dao, and Tay with distinctive cultural identities, creating a diverse and unique cultural treasure. Aware of its advantages, the district has paid attention to the preservation and promotion of ethnic groups’ cultural values so that culture will become a leverage for tourism and contribute to socio-economic development and life quality improvement.
According to the Hoa Binh provincial Department of Planning and Investment, in Hoa Binh Lake tourist area, there are currently 16 licensed or certified service, cultural and tourism investment projects with a land use area of about 1,444 hectares, and a total capital of over 3.3 trillion VND (133.5 million USD). In addition to investment attraction, the province is speeding up the implementation of projects so as to realise a goal of developing Hoa Binh Lake tourist area into a national one.
These days, tourist attractions in Mai Chau district, especially those highlighted by the charming and romantic white Ban (Bauhinia) flower blossoms, are attracting a large number of visitors from across the country. Visiting these sites, tourists can immerse themselves in the pristine and majestic beauty of nature.