Dien Bien: Developing community-based tourism contributes to poverty reduction and improves people's lives.

With its diverse cultural landscape of 19 ethnic groups, along with its rich ecosystem and historical heritage, Dien Bien has many advantages for developing community-based tourism, thereby creating livelihoods, increasing income, and contributing to sustainable poverty reduction for local people.

According to Nguyen Thi Thanh Chuyen, Deputy Director of the Dien Bien Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Dien Bien is a mountainous, border province in the Northwest of Vietnam, with a border stretching over 455km, bordering the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the People's Republic of China. Dien Bien province has 45 commune-level administrative units, of which 15 communes are located in border areas.

Dien Bien province has 35 ranked historical sites, including 1 special national historical site and 20 national historical sites; 22 cultural heritage items included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage; 138 OCOP products certified with 3-4 stars; and 11 traditional crafts and villages recognized by the Provincial People's Committee...

A highlight of Dien Bien province is its vibrant cultural tapestry, reflecting the diverse heritage of its 19 ethnic groups living together, each with unique characteristics in their architecture, villages, clothing, customs, and traditional festivals. Dien Bien province has the potential to develop various types of tourism, including historical tourism, cultural tourism, ecotourism, mountain climbing tourism, resort tourism, sports tourism , and community tourism.

Over the years, community-based tourism activities in Dien Bien province have received attention and guidance from the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council, and the Provincial People's Committee; and the active participation of local Party committees and authorities, the business community, and ethnic minority communities.

The Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 03-NQ/TU dated May 7, 2021, on the development of tourism in Dien Bien province until 2025, with a vision to 2030; the Provincial People's Committee issued: Decision No. 345/QD-UBND dated March 3, 2023, approving the Project on the development of tourism in Dien Bien province until 2025, with a vision to 2030; Plan No. 3745/KH-UBND dated August 24, 2023, on the development of rural tourism in the construction of new rural areas in Dien Bien province until 2025; Plan No. 3431/KH-UBND dated July 11, 2025, on the implementation of the Project on community tourism development in Dien Bien province...

This is a crucial political and legal basis for unifying understanding and perspectives, linking community tourism development with rural development, improving people's lives; promoting the rural economic development movement, contributing to poverty reduction; supporting access to resources and public services for ethnic minority communities, and contributing to making community tourism a complete and leading product in Dien Bien province's tourism product system. At the same time, it defines the goal of developing community tourism products and services in conjunction with preserving and promoting the valuable traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic groups and developing cultural industries in the area.

Dien Bien province aims to have at least 7 recognized community tourism destinations by 2030; 1 destination meeting ASEAN community tourism standards; and 50% of destinations recognized as OCOP products, promoted on digital platforms and mainstream media.

Based on this, many villages and households have focused on investing in and developing community-based tourism and rural tourism models. At the same time, localities have restored, preserved, and developed festivals, crafts, traditional villages, and OCOP products associated with tourism development.

Businesses and households are actively participating in investing and promoting the exploitation of traditional cultural values ​​and agricultural production to serve the needs of tourists seeking to learn and experience, such as: building and upgrading accommodation facilities for guests in the local traditional style, using local, environmentally friendly materials; people maintaining the wearing of traditional costumes, and agricultural production activities that are very attractive to foreign tourists.

Currently, there are 14 villages in the province that can serve tourists, with over 40 homestay tourism models in operation. Each village has its own performing arts group and culinary team to ensure that tourists can enjoy folk art, cuisine, accommodation, and experiences.

However, community-based tourism and some other tourism products in the ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Dien Bien province have not yet developed in proportion to their potential and advantages in tourism resources. The infrastructure and facilities have not been fully invested in; tourism products are not diverse or attractive enough; and human resources do not meet the requirements for development.

To develop community-based tourism in Dien Bien province into a unique, attractive, and multi-valued form of tourism, the Dien Bien Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has requested the Vietnam National Tourism Administration to provide support in training and developing human resources to effectively exploit tourism resources, preserve and promote the traditional cultural identity of ethnic groups, and ensure that rural tourism activities in the context of building new rural areas develop in the right direction.

At the same time, organize famtrips and press trips to survey tourism products and destinations to strengthen connections, develop new tourism products, create tour packages, and improve the effectiveness of communication and promotion to attract tourists.

To support the connection and introduction of capable and experienced investors to survey, develop, and implement investment projects in the tourism sector in Dien Bien province.

In addition, the project supports Dien Bien province in comprehensively promoting digital transformation in tourism activities, contributing to improving the efficiency of state management, developing tourism products, boosting communication and promotion, and providing unique experiences for tourists.

According to Pham Van Thuy, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, global tourism is shifting strongly towards sustainability, developing based on local communities, emphasizing experiences, cultural preservation, and improving livelihoods for local people. After the pandemic, tourists are no longer seeking only crowded destinations, but are increasingly drawn to peaceful, authentic spaces where they can deeply connect with nature and local culture.

In Vietnam, developing community-based tourism is not only a requirement of the tourism industry but also a crucial solution for creating sustainable livelihoods for ethnic minorities and people in mountainous areas. This is also one of the key tasks of the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority Areas for the period 2021-2025, which the Government has given special attention to.

Dien Bien possesses many favorable conditions for developing sustainable community tourism. The majestic Northwest mountainous landscape, the clean and cool climate; the vast and beautiful Muong Thanh valley, the most famous in the Northwest region; a rich system of mineral springs, caves, and primeval forests; many villages still preserving pristine landscapes and unique ethnic cultural identities such as Ten village, Phieng Loi village, Na Sang village…; and historical relics associated with the Dien Bien Phu Campaign such as A1 Hill, De Castries' bunker, Muong Thanh bridge… attract a large number of tourists. These cultural and historical features – when properly preserved and exploited – are invaluable resources for the sustainable development of community tourism.

In addition, the hospitality and kindness of the local people have become a special spiritual value, creating a unique charm for Dien Bien that cannot be found anywhere else.

Developing community-based tourism in Dien Bien aims at the ultimate goal of helping local people achieve stable livelihoods, increase their income, preserve traditional culture, and contribute to the sustainable development of the locality.

Associate Professor Pham Hong Long, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Tourism Studies, Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, believes that developing community tourism is not just about providing accommodation and food services, but also about incorporating local cultural activities. Associate Professor Pham Hong Long particularly emphasized that exploiting culture is not about "selling" culture, but about sharing and spreading its values. The main actors in this process must be the local community. When people are empowered and receive fair benefits, community tourism in Dien Bien will truly take off.

Ms. Ha Thuy Mai from the Institute of Culture and Development, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, believes that local people must participate in community tourism activities; promotion and advertising must be combined with community culture. Long-term planning should ensure the authenticity of the culture; encourage the restoration of festivals, traditional houses, and craft villages. Training should be organized on tourism skills, service, and homestay management; placing local people in the key role of tourism activities.

Bui Anh Tien, Vice Chairman of the Dien Bien Provincial Tourism Association, emphasized: "Localities need to gather issues requiring support, connect, and share them with the Dien Bien Tourism Association. The Dien Bien Tourism Association is ready to accompany, share experiences, and promote the role of businesses in supporting the people."

Mr. Pham Duy Linh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Pu Nhi commune, said that Pu Nhi commune has been piloting and encouraging people to participate in community tourism development to escape poverty. Mr. Pham Duy Linh shared: "The locality has and will continue to utilize policies to support the people. However, we hope to receive support from management agencies and authorities at all levels so that the locality can continue to work alongside the people, promote community tourism development, and contribute to poverty reduction in ethnic minority areas."

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/dien-bien-phat-trien-du-lich-cong-dong-gop-phan-xoa-doi-giam-ngheo-nang-cao-doi-song-nguoi-dan-20251214212156839.htm