Health tourism with the "traditional healer" who has millions of views.

Going into the forest to gather herbs, searching for folk remedies, or discovering rare medicinal plants deep in the woods, health tourism with "online healers," and experiencing the use of natural herbal remedies are attracting millions of Facebook, TikTok, and other social media users.

Creating social media content about traditional medicine is helping many localities attract tourists from all over the world - Screenshot

Just like people in the lowlands use mugwort, ginger, ginseng, etc., as medicinal herbs, many elderly people in the mountainous regions are taking advantage of social media to create very simple personal channels to promote their medicinal herbs and precious medicines, attracting tourists to explore them .

Create a beginner's video , get an overwhelming number of views.

Originating from a conversation about midterm exam content where Ms. Bui Thi Truc's daughter (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) wanted to learn about which medicinal plants are good for health, her personal page suddenly "showed" information that surprised Ms. Truc: "Personal accounts clearly listed Ms. A and Mr. B as mountain herbalists. These channels introduce roots from the forest, and claim that they can cure liver and joint problems... Or videos of journeys into the forest to find medicinal herbs, which are very captivating."

Similarly, Mr. NVH (35 years old, from Ba Ria - Vung Tau province) accidentally saw a social media post documenting the process of digging up a medicinal herb that resembled ginger and was claimed to cure... infertility.

"I didn't know how effective it would be, but the way the mountain people dug up the tubers, leaving a portion in the cliff face to sprout again, and then explained the name, uses, and methods of use, fascinated me so much. Near Tet (Lunar New Year) this year, my wife and I went on a trip and asked someone to guide us into the forest," Mr. H. recounted.

The price of medicinal plants ranges from 600,000 to 1 million VND; other herbs range from 300,000 to 500,000 VND. The fee for taking Mr. NVH and his wife into the forest for exploration is 150,000 VND per session; if they stay overnight, the cost of accommodation at a local's house is at the discretion of the guests.

Mr. H. promised to return for a vacation and relaxation next summer. "Learning about medicinal plants, expanding my knowledge of folk remedies, and exploring nature-based tourist attractions is very interesting...", Mr. H. said.

Videos following a group of traditional healers into the forest 30km from their homes in Tuyen Quang to collect medicinal herbs have been circulating on Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms. These videos are narrated in a natural yet captivating way, thanks to their storytelling approach, making them irresistible to viewers, with some videos achieving millions of views.

From the initial winding mountain passes to climbing cliffs and crossing streams, these traditional healers never forget to showcase the beautiful mountain scenery to their viewers. When they discover medicinal herbs, they readily name them and list a series of their uses...

After each trip, after each view, there's a "flood" of comments. For example, "What a great way to do tourism"; "I wish I could experience going to collect medicinal herbs with the people in the mountains someday"...

Boosting local tourism

According to a lecturer from the tourism department of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture, middle-aged people in mountainous areas have some knowledge of folk remedies, and combined with creativity and the use of social media, they have created intriguing and engaging videos.

"From a tourism perspective, I consider this to be creative, knowing how to utilize the unique local products, linking them with nature tourism in the digital space," this person observed.

The female lecturer analyzed: "When people promote medicinal herbs, local authorities and relevant agencies should invest. For example, they should train people in basic knowledge of traditional medicine, invest in accommodation for tourists who come to explore..."

Because this is a trend in health-focused adventure tourism. Doing it properly and expanding it will create momentum for the development of local tourism."

Meanwhile, Mr. Nong Viet Yen, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Yen Bai province, said that the province has about 30 models of health tourism associated with traditional medicine to anticipate the trend of health tourism.

According to Mr. Yen, health products associated with tourism should not only be based on traditional remedies and folk secrets, but also developed by experts knowledgeable in herbal medicine and products proven by science: "For example, in Tram Tau district, they combine natural hot springs with massage and acupressure for health; or in Mu Cang Chai, hawthorn, forest honey, codonopsis, and notoginseng... are products that combine medicinal uses, beverages, and dishes to treat illnesses and serve tourists."

According to the director of a travel company on An Duong Vuong Street (District 5), health and wellness tourism has been predicted by the World Tourism Organization as one of the six tourism trends that will develop strongly in the 21st century.

"Vietnam has an advantage in traditional medicine. Using medicinal herbs for health recovery or healthcare is a preferred travel goal for many tourists."

"In fact, some tourism units have already brought tourists to experience the herbal baths of the Red Dao people, creating a good impression on foreign visitors. If localities do well, we will bring tour groups to experience it because health tourism is a popular trend," this person said.

Every year, Vietnamese people spend billions of USD on overseas travel and healthcare.

According to data from the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2018, 350,000 foreigners visited Vietnam for medical treatment combined with leisure travel, spending $2 billion USD.

Meanwhile, every year around 40,000 Vietnamese people go abroad for medical treatment combined with tourism, spending billions of USD.

A survey by YouGov shows that 21% of global travelers were traveling for health and wellness reasons in 2022, but this demand increased rapidly to 29% in 2023 and is predicted to grow by approximately 10-12% annually.

Attracting international tourists

A scene from the clip shows people exploring medicinal herbs in the forest, showcasing the beautiful mountain scenery of the highlanders - Screenshot.

Currently, there are many Facebook and TikTok accounts with this theme that are quite popular, such as BL herbal, MK Red Dao, Tay FM, and TC...

Here, the videos showcase the channel owner taking international tourists into the forest and guiding them on how to identify medicinal plants, choose vegetables to eat at huts in the fields, or enjoy meals in dilapidated huts that are quite unusual for tourists.

Another notable point is that many of these channel owners speak English well; some even mentioned that they graduated from university but, due to circumstances, returned to their hometowns to become farmers.

Because of the authenticity of the videos and the novelty of the agricultural products, whatever the channel owners post, viewers immediately ask to buy it: if they post a video of harvesting cassava, people want to buy cassava; if they cook sticky rice from mountain fields, people ask about the type of sticky rice...

The most popular herbal products sold through these channels are the seeds of the dổi tree (a type of nutmeg), mắc khén (a type of spice used in dipping sauces and as a seasoning for dishes), liver-cleansing leaves, and leaves used in baths for postpartum women...

According to a traditional medicine expert, after watching these channels, he noticed that the ethnic minority people who run the channels have certain experience with medicinal plants. However, this is a product that affects health and not everyone can consume it. Provinces should open training classes for the people on how to both exploit and conserve forests, how to advise buyers on the safe use of medicinal leaves, and how to use herbal medicines according to diseases...

Because both are blood-boosting plants, there are two very similar types, yet their prices and effects differ. Or, when giving advice, some channel owners explain that the blood-boosting plant is for blood enrichment, while others suggest it increases blood flow to the brain!

If local authorities do not provide guidance to local traditional healers soon, there is a high risk of adverse reactions after using herbal remedies.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/du-lich-suc-khoe-cung-thay-lang-trieu-view-20250310003910624.htm