Intrepid Vietnam: 20 years of accompanying social activities

At the 20th anniversary event of Intrepid Vietnam, three paintings were auctioned and raised 200 million VND. The entire amount was used to support the construction of a community bridge in Minh Son village, Thong Nguyen commune, Tuyen Quang province.

Intrepid Vietnam's 20th anniversary celebration. (Photo: Organizer)

Minh Son village is a remote village where more than 20 households with nearly 80 people - most of whom are ethnic minorities - face difficulties every day, especially in the rainy season when travel depends only on fragile bamboo rafts, full of risks for children and the elderly. When completed, the bridge will contribute greatly to reducing the difficulties in daily travel of the people, helping them increase their opportunities to earn a living.

This is one of many activities that Intrepid Vietnam has carried out to support disadvantaged and disadvantaged communities in many localities in Vietnam.

As a unit specializing in providing high quality tours about Vietnamese culture for Australian tourists, the destinations that Intrepid Vietnam takes guests to are very special.

Mr. Le Viet Cuong, founder of Vun Art Cooperative, said that his business has been cooperating with Intrepid since 2023 to provide gifts and souvenirs for tourists. Intrepid also takes visitors to visit Vun Art's production workshop and donates to support Vun Art to have more resources to teach vocational skills to people with disabilities.

In addition, Intrepid also supports Vun Art in a very important activity: training people with disabilities in reception skills, customer communication and sales.

“In the past 4 years, we have worked with Intrepid to provide vocational training and create jobs for 26 more people, bringing the total number of workers in Vun to 48. Many people with autism and mental retardation have benefited from models like this,” said Mr. Le Viet Cuong.

So what can people with autism and mental retardation do at Vun Art? According to Mr. Le Viet Cuong, for people with autism and mental retardation who cannot make canvas paintings, Intrepid has worked with Vun Art to open cafes and tea shops from funds donated by tourists, training them in service skills so that they can make a living from their own work. They are also instructed on how to participate in traffic, such as riding a bicycle, handling minor breakdowns, or contacting their families when their vehicle breaks down. Activities like this have been carried out regularly over the past 4 years.

Similarly, Intrepid has supported Blue Dragon and Save Vietnam's Wildlife by donating funds to their operations and bringing tourists to visit them.

With the Blue Dragon Children's Aid organization, Intrepid also offers tours, introductions to the organization and some itineraries in Hanoi to help visitors better understand the work of supporting street children and preventing human trafficking, while spreading information about Blue Dragon to raise community awareness.

With Save Vietnam's Wildlife, Intrepid collaborates by integrating a visit to Cuc Phuong National Park into its itineraries, helping visitors learn about the process of rescuing, rehabilitating, and reintroducing wildlife. Even on itineraries without attractions, guides still introduce them to spread the conservation message.

From the beginning of the year to August, Intrepid has supported Blue Dragon with nearly 12,000 AUD, supported Vun Art with 7,500 AUD, and Save Vietnam's wildlife with 6,500 AUD.

One of three paintings auctioned to raise funds for the bridge.

“Vietnam has been an important destination for Intrepid Travel since the early days. Celebrating 20 years of operations here demonstrates the trust and cooperation from our partners, our dedicated staff, and the communities that have welcomed Intrepid travelers from all over the world . We are proud of what we have built together and will continue to develop responsible tourism in Vietnam in the future,” said Mr. Geoff Manchester, co-founder of Intrepid Travel.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hanh, General Director of Intrepid Vietnam, shared: “I am extremely proud of our staff and partners in Vietnam who have worked together to create success, helping hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world discover the culture and beauty of Vietnam. I am also proud of the activities we have carried out with Intrepid Foundation partners, such as Blue Dragon Children's Aid, Vun Art Cooperative and Save Vietnam Wildlife. I look forward to the next 20 years of continuing to share the beauty of Vietnam with the world through responsible tourism, bringing real benefits.”

In early 2025, Intrepid Travel strengthened its commitment to Vietnam through a partnership with the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center, supporting the city’s goal of becoming a leading sustainable tourism hub in Southeast Asia. Under the agreement, Intrepid Vietnam will jointly develop responsible tourism products and promote regional experiences beyond the urban core.

Ms. Cecilia Brennan, Economic Counselor of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, said that Intrepid Vietnam began its journey in 2005 as the first joint venture between Australia and Vietnam in the tourism sector and has spent two decades dedicated to sustainable and community-centered tourism.

Every year, Intrepid Vietnam welcomes approximately 26,000 international visitors, operating nearly 3,000 tours annually - an extremely impressive mark.

An extensive network of partnerships with over 500 local suppliers and non-profit organizations such as Blue Dragon Children's Aid, Vun Art and Save Vietnam's Wildlife demonstrates Intrepid Vietnam's clear commitment to ensuring tourism creates lasting impacts for communities and the environment.

Ms. Cecilia Brennan affirmed that Vietnam is also a favorite destination for Australians. In 2024, about 437,000 Australians visited Vietnam, making Vietnam the 9th most popular tourist destination for Australians.

“These figures reflect the growing demand for tourism exchanges between the two countries, and also demonstrate the increasingly important role of tourism as a pillar in the bilateral relationship between Australia and Vietnam. Australia looks forward to further promoting tourism cooperation with Vietnam,” said Ms. Cecilia Brennan.

Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu highly appreciated the activities of Intrepid Vietnam and said that since the beginning of 2025, Vietnam has welcomed 380,000 visitors from Australia, most of them via Intrepid. “Vietnam tourism in 2025 aims to welcome 22 to 25 million international visitors, we have high expectations for the Australian market. In early October, there will be a roadshow to introduce Vietnam tourism in Sydney and Melbourne. Intrepid is the bridge to bring Australian visitors to Vietnam, conveying the message of a beautiful and attractive Vietnam to Australian visitors,” said Mr. Ha Van Sieu.

However, the most important thing, besides the effectiveness of tourism exploitation, is the positive impact that Intrepid brings to people with disabilities, street children and wildlife protection.

As Mr. Le Viet Cuong of Vun Art shared: “The most important thing does not come from the numbers, the greatest value that Intrepid brings to you at Vun is the value of spirit, faith and hope. Because only with faith and hope can we change our lives. And for people with disabilities, faith is very important.”

LINH KHANH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/intrepid-viet-nam-20-nam-dong-hanh-cung-hoat-dong-xa-hoi-post911202.html