Dong Giang tourism - untapped potential

Tourists join in traditional dances of the Co Tu people at Dong Giang Heaven Gate tourist area. Photo: CONG TU

Limited effectiveness

Along National Highway 14G, two community tourism villages, Bhohoong (Song Kon commune) and Dhroong (Ta Lu commune), opened in 2013.

The activities of these two villages are directly managed by the local community tourism village management board, which operates service groups and teams.

Based on the cultural identity and typical products of the Co Tu people, Bhohoong village provides tourists with traditional culinary services, tan tung da da dance, musical instrument performances - love songs, crossbow shooting performances and teaching, weaving, and homestay accommodation.

Coming to Dhroong village, visitors can enjoy traditional cuisine, join in the Tan Tung Da Da dance, weave brocade, stay in traditional houses...

Students of Dong Giang District Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities experience making traditional dishes. Photo: CONG TU

Mr. Do Huu Tung, Acting Chairman of Dong Giang District People's Committee, said that over the years, Bhohoong village has received attention, direction and support in its activities from all levels and departments of the province.

Through projects of international organizations, the tourism community is initially equipped with general knowledge about tourism, guest reception, and room service. The district also focuses on training many vocational classes for workers in both craft villages.

But due to many reasons, attracting tourists to craft villages in general, Bhohoong and Dhroong villages in particular, is still very modest.

According to statistics, in 2022, when the Dong Giang Heaven Gate Eco-tourism Project organized to welcome guests in phase 1, the number of tourists to these two villages was only 243, with a revenue of more than 76 million VND; in 2023, it was 389, with a revenue of more than 108 million VND. This fact shows that a large number of tourists to Dong Giang Heaven Gate did not visit the two community tourism villages.

Although it is a mountainous area, Dong Giang possesses great resources for agricultural and rural tourism. Initial surveys show that there are 10 potential locations for development in the area. Therefore, the district has issued and implemented a plan to develop rural tourism in the construction of new rural areas.

The Department of Culture, Science and Information has also advised the District People's Committee to propose to the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to allow the development of a pilot project to develop agriculture, manage and protect forests in conjunction with the exploitation of indigenous culture, ecotourism and community in the area. However, the formation of this type of tourist destination is mainly spontaneous, with not many visitors.

Need to remove barriers

Mr. Dinh Van Bao, Deputy Secretary of the Dong Giang District Party Committee, shared that the district is always looking for solutions to exploit resources for agricultural and rural tourism development. However, legal procedures related to land and construction when exploiting food and accommodation services at gardens and agricultural farms (farmstay) are major barriers that have not been resolved.

Suoi May Farmstay in Tong Cooi village (Ba commune). Photo: CONG TU

A local resident said that a business from the lowlands had mentioned exploiting this type of business, but had to abandon the idea because of land law issues. On the contrary, not far to the east of Kien slope (National Highway 14G), dozens of tourist attractions in Da Nang attract a large number of visitors to explore and enjoy.

In 2024, Dong Giang proposed to the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Committee to allow the district to develop a pilot project to develop eco-tourism, community-based tourism at household and household level, in conjunction with the exploitation of indigenous culture, agriculture, and forests to exploit the district's advantages. The locality is waiting for the competent authority to have an official mechanism to resolve the issue.

Another barrier is that the standards for accommodation facilities for the type of tourism combined with agriculture (farmstay) are not yet regulated in the Law on Tourism and related guiding documents. This causes difficulties for the state management of the district-level People's Committee for the type of tourism accommodation with less than 20 rooms when conducting inspections of facilities and service business conditions.

To exploit the potential of community tourism, Mr. Do Huu Tung said that the locality focuses on disseminating and thoroughly implementing the contents of Resolution No. 35, dated October 23, 2023 of the District Party Committee on continuing to lead the work of preserving and promoting traditional cultural values ​​of the Co Tu people associated with tourism development in the period of 2023 - 2025, with a vision to 2030 and Resolution No. 28, dated October 25, 2023 of the District People's Council approving the "Project to preserve and promote traditional cultural values ​​of the Co Tu people associated with tourism development in the district in the period of 2023 - 2025, with a vision to 2030".

Regarding agricultural tourism, the district recommends that the competent authorities have mechanisms, policies and solutions to remove difficulties in legal procedures on land and construction so that households and agricultural production establishments can exploit tourism services in gardens and farms. Pay attention to investing in renovating and expanding National Highway 14G to exploit the potential for tourism development in particular, economic development and ensuring social security in general...

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/du-lich-dong-giang-tiem-nang-chua-duoc-khai-pha-3154761.html