(QBĐT) - After a period of rapid and undirected development, the homestay system in the province has taken new directions, more in line with the trends of modern tourism , striving to keep up with the changes in practice. "The true test of a horse is on a long journey," if homestays innovate, adapt flexibly, improve service quality, and focus on the skills and expertise of their workforce, they will certainly be ready for the long term, overcoming difficulties and challenges. However, along that journey, it is still necessary to strengthen linkages and support, especially in the way of developing sustainable tourism, aiming for green growth.
The Captain's Garden House is the third accommodation facility built by Mr. Hoang Quang Trung (born in 1983, Bao Ninh commune, Dong Hoi city) in Bao Ninh commune in the last 5 years. Originally a photographer, but passionate about tourism, especially seeing that the commune lacked a proper homestay, Mr. Trung decided to invest with friends to build Barefoot Homestay in 2017. The initial success of the homestay provided him with valuable experience, especially in serving tourists, understanding trends, and managing this innovative tourism model. Following that, he confidently opened "The Captain's Garden House" with 6 rooms, also in the coastal commune of Bao Ninh.
Homestay truly helps him fulfill his passion for tourism. Besides ensuring quality service, he believes in doing the job with heart, so that tourists feel "like they're coming home." He enthusiastically advises guests on destinations, cuisine , and assists with other services...
He shared: "Running a homestay, I don't dare go more than 1 kilometer away, because whenever guests need assistance, I'll be there promptly." He maintains a strong relationship with guests; guests staying longer than 3 days receive local specialties as gifts. If any issues arise, he always puts himself in the customer's shoes, resolving conflicts quickly and in a way that benefits the guests. As a result, the homestay is popular, receives word-of-mouth recommendations, and boasts excellent occupancy rates.
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Still wanting to experiment with newer accommodation models, in 2024, he invested in building "The Captain's Garden House," a new type of detached villa for all-inclusive rentals. The model features a spacious garden, swimming pool, and modern, aesthetically pleasing rooms. Having only been in operation for three months, the model has already gained popularity among group and family travelers needing extended stays and seeking a comfortable experience.
Although he only hands over the keys to the guests, Mr. Trung still regularly assists them, advising on destinations and cuisine, even going to the market with them and designing meals to suit their diverse needs.
Trung shared that, through his experience in running a homestay business, he realized that one of the most important factors is the skills and experience of the homestay owner. Besides training and professional development, homestay owners also need to constantly accumulate experience, hone their skills, and continuously learn and update their knowledge to meet the changing trends in tourism today.
Having weathered the Covid-19 pandemic with many difficulties, Lucky Homes (Phong Nha town, Bo Trach district) has made many changes to suit the needs of tourists. Ha Khiem, the manager of Lucky Homes, said that the homestay, which has been operating since 2019, is the brainchild of Khiem's parents and was handed over to their children to manage. The homestay has 10 rooms with guaranteed service quality and provides additional meals upon request…
Having majored in tourism, Ha Khiem has many advantages in promoting and introducing the homestay, as well as supporting the training and skill development of the staff. Currently, although living in Japan, Khiem still participates in remote online management, assisting his siblings in running the homestay. This is a strength of the homestay, as it has a professional management approach compared to other traditional homestays. Currently, the number of guests staying at the homestay remains quite stable and receives positive feedback from tourists.
According to Ha Khiem, although he has participated in a community tourism group in Phong Nha town, he still hopes to attend forums and professional conferences on sustainable tourism development to have more opportunities to exchange, learn, and accumulate experience in building community tourism, especially homestay tourism.
According to Tran Duc Binh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Phong Nha town, similar to Lucky Homes, the 60 homestays in the town (mainly in Phong Nha, Cu Lac 1, Cu Lac 2, and Xuan Tien villages) are constantly striving to innovate and improve the quality of their services to better meet the needs of tourists. However, compared to before, the number of homestays in the area has decreased by 5, mainly due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, lack of capital to maintain them, and people shifting to other professions.
| In early July, the Department of Tourism coordinated a workshop on the development of rural and community tourism in Quang Binh, where homestays and farmstays were among the topics discussed. According to the Department of Tourism, Quang Binh has a relatively large number of homestays and farmstays, with over 100 distributed in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang area, Dong Hoi City, and Le Thuy District. Many homestays and farmstays are well-invested, have swimming pools, and offer professional services. |
Besides innovating traditional homestays, many new, trend-setting homestay models have been boldly implemented and promise future success, especially with the collaboration of tourism businesses, such as: Rural Homestay (Tan Hoa commune, Minh Hoa district) adapting to climate change; Rum Ho Homestay (Kim Thuy commune, Le Thuy district) preserving the unique culture of the Bru-Van Kieu people…
However, there are still unsuccessful homestays due to various objective and subjective reasons. According to Le Ngoc Son, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hung Trach commune (Bo Trach district), out of 13 homestays previously, only about 6 are still operating in the commune. Of these, those that were previously successful continue to thrive, some operate at a reduced capacity, and very few have innovated or expanded. Furthermore, some previously popular community tourism models, such as Dong Soi Farm and Star Lake Hill, have failed to sustain themselves. Currently, the local government continues to encourage and provide maximum support to residents in the homestay business and proposes capital support for the development of community tourism.
Despite overcoming the difficulties of the Covid-19 pandemic, the fact that homestays in the province have continued to operate demonstrates a strong effort in adapting to changing tourism trends, keeping up with innovation, and meeting the needs of tourists. In this journey, homestay owners, especially those in remote, disadvantaged, and unique areas, still need active support from many sources, particularly in training and developing human resources, and in promoting, introducing, and applying digital transformation.
Furthermore, strengthening connections and actively innovating to keep up with new tourism trends within homestays also plays a crucial role. In particular, creating a unique identity and unique features, preserving and promoting local cultural values, is the "golden key" for homestays to establish their position in the hearts of tourists.
Mai Nhan
Source: https://www.baoquangbinh.vn/kinh-te/202407/khoac-ao-moi-cho-homestay-2219933/
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