For community tourism to develop to its full potential.

Vietnam has great potential for developing community-based tourism ; however, most of the community-based tourism models built recently have not been effective, and the potential has not been exploited and developed to its full potential.

Tourists experience community-based tourism in Thieng Lieng hamlet, Can Gio district (Ho Chi Minh City).

This statement was made at the thematic workshop "Empowering Local Communities Through Sustainable Tourism," which recently took place within the framework of the 18th Ho Chi Minh City International Tourism Fair (ITE HCMC 2024), jointly organized by the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, the Asia- Pacific Regional Office of the United Nations Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), and the Asia Tourism Exchange Centre (APTEC).

According to Ms. Chiaki Oya, Deputy Head of the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of the United Nations Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), community-based tourism plays a crucial role in preserving culture and improving the livelihoods of local people. It is also currently the type of tourism that brings the most sustainable economic development benefits to indigenous communities.

“Vietnam has great potential in terms of natural landscapes, history, indigenous cultures of various ethnic groups, and rich culinary traditions of different regions, which form the basis for the strong development of community-based tourism. This not only helps people protect ecological resources but also preserves and promotes the unique cultural features of the locality. For community-based tourism to develop sustainably, cooperation among stakeholders is a key factor,” Ms. Chiaki Oya affirmed.

Sharing experiences in developing community-based tourism in Thailand, Mr. Natthawut Chaengkrachang – representative of the Department of Sustainable Tourism Management (DASTA) of Nan Province (Thailand) – stated that “CBT Thailand” is used as an important tool for planning and evaluating the results of community-based tourism development in Thailand. It serves as a standard for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of communities throughout the tourism development process. Based on this, communities and training units are trained to build capacity and effectively utilize the community's potential.

“Specifically, ‘CBT Thailand’ is used as a monitoring tool to prevent unwanted negative changes in the community when addressing tourism needs. Therefore, there is a need for an organization to implement the development of designated community tourism areas and promote quality, standardized tourism destinations for sustainable growth,” Mr. Natthawut Chaengkrachang proposed.

Dr. Duong Duc Minh, Deputy Director of the Institute for Tourism and Economic Development Research (ITEDR), stated that global tourism demand is shifting towards establishing new values ​​based on traditional cultural values, natural values, and creative values. Community-based tourism is also an effective way to develop sustainable tourism and practice responsible tourism. To promote the development of community-based tourism, it is necessary to focus on the unique cultural experiences offered to tourists. Everyday culture is a crucial element in creating unique experiences for visitors.

According to tourism expert Duong Minh Binh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CBT Travel Company, most community-based tourism models developed recently have not been effective, despite Vietnam's great potential for community-based tourism development. Mr. Binh believes that the homestay models currently built by local people are largely spontaneous, lacking systematic planning and consideration, and haven't become truly effective. The activities organized for this type of tourism are also limited to sightseeing and enjoying the environment. For the most part, they fail to achieve the goals of raising awareness, educating about the environment, and appreciating the unique and beautiful aspects of the local community's culture.

"Understanding the demand from tourists who prefer to experience life close to rural people, local communities simply follow the lead of others, one household copying another, one locality copying another… without any guidance. Meanwhile, to build a quality community-based tourism product, creativity is needed; that's the subtle characteristic of tourism products with a unique identity," Mr. Binh emphasized.

“To promote tourism in Ho Chi Minh City in general and Vietnam in particular, within the framework of the ITE HCMC 2024 Fair, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism organized unique community tourism tours for international buyers and journalists to experience local culture, history, and cuisine. These included a tour experiencing the community tourism model in Thieng Lieng island hamlet in Thanh An commune, Can Gio district (Ho Chi Minh City), with activities such as cycling around the island, learning about the lives of local people and their salt-making profession, relaxing with herbal salt foot baths, enjoying the culture through traditional folk music performances… and directly participating in tree planting and reforestation.”

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/de-du-lich-cong-dong-phat-trien-xung-tam-20240909150427624.htm