Unleashing the power of community

Promoting national cultural identity as a foundation for creating endogenous strength to develop socio-economic activities , including tourism, is a major policy of the Party and Government. It is also one of the key contents of the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy to 2030, approved by the Prime Minister on January 22, 2020. This strategy is being strongly implemented by localities, including the Northwest region.

However, how to effectively promote ethnic cultural identity to drive socio-economic development and alleviate poverty for ethnic minorities in mountainous areas is a long story that requires a systematic and strong approach, as well as the solidarity and sharing of local communities.

We met and exchanged ideas with local leaders and experts in the fields of tourism , economics, and culture to come up with effective solutions for mountainous areas, including the Northwest region.

"To go far, we must go together" is the guiding principle for achieving sustainable results and accomplishments. Hoa Binh province, along with Hanoi , the Northwest provinces, and many neighboring localities, is striving to create sustainable cultural tourism products with high connectivity to make tourism activities more effective.

In its plan to develop tourism into a key economic sector, Hoa Binh also plans to create regional tourism products. Currently, Hoa Binh has built a tourism connection between Lac Son and Kim Boi districts to enhance the visitor experience. In addition, Hoa Binh province and Hanoi have important projects to connect tourism. For example, in May 2023, the Huong Binh cable car project, with a total investment of approximately 1,700 billion VND, connecting Tien Pagoda (Lac Thuy district, Hoa Binh) to Huong Pagoda (My Duc district, Hanoi), was started in Hoa Binh. The 3km cable car line will be a spiritual tourism link between the two localities.

In addition to regional linkages, Hoa Binh is strengthening cooperation with other localities in preserving, conserving, and promoting national cultural identity, focusing on implementing a plan to build and preserve the "Hoa Binh culture," linking cultural preservation with tourism development. The plan includes building an exhibition hall showcasing Hoa Binh cultural relics to preserve and protect these valuable heritage sites.

Hoa Binh province is coordinating with six other provinces and cities – Hanoi, Son La, Phu Tho, Ninh Binh, Dak Lak, and Thanh Hoa – and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to jointly develop a national dossier on the Mo Muong cultural heritage, to be submitted to UNESCO for inscription on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent safeguarding. It is hoped that these heritage linkages will help the Northwest provinces create more attractive cultural tourism products.

In March 2021, while tourism was still affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hanoi Travel Association, the VGreen Sustainable Tourism Club, and the National Museum of History launched a caravan (self-driving experience) product to explore the Northwestern provinces. The highlight of the caravan journey from Hanoi through the Northwestern provinces was a stop in Hoa Binh, exploring the archaeological site of Xom Trai Cave and the culture of the Muong ethnic group.

Here, tourists can make their own costumes from leaves and wear masks that mimic the scenes from ancient caves. The success of the caravan tour at that time was due to the collaboration and partnership of local communities to create an experiential route rich in cultural identity.

This Carnival tour product explores Northwest Vietnam, with stops at the Xom Trai cave archaeological site and the Muong ethnic culture (Hoa Binh province).

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, interconnected cultural tourism products are becoming less common, with localities primarily relying on their own strengths. The Northwest region possesses abundant cultural and natural tourism resources, but the level of connectivity is very low, limiting its ability to attract tourists from distant markets. For sustainable tourism and stable livelihoods for local people, local authorities need to support them in promotional activities.

Currently, tourists from Southern Vietnam are very fond of traveling to the Northeast and Northwest regions. Besides the "specialty" of the rice harvest season with its stunning terraced rice fields, the unique culture of the ethnic minority communities in the mountainous areas is a major attraction for visitors from afar. Local authorities should establish closer links with travel agencies to develop attractive tourist routes, maximizing the unique cultural identity of each locality and attracting more tourists from the South and Central regions.

Attracting tourists to the Northwest region needs to be done well right from the "gateway," which is Hoa Binh. Considered the "capital" of the Muong ethnic group, with its historical and cultural relics, distinctive customs and traditions, and long-standing cuisine, Hoa Binh, with its advantageous location, has the potential to create significant tourism value for the Northwest region. Currently, however, tourists visiting Hoa Binh only stop to rest, rarely staying overnight, especially large groups. This is very regrettable!

I believe that Hoa Binh in particular, and the Northwest provinces in general, can collaborate to develop more attractive tourism products. Besides the already popular Hoa Binh - Son La - Dien Bien tour, localities need to develop new tours based on their diverse ethnic cultural identities, with a focus on Muong culture. For example, tours could focus on learning about the culture and experiencing life in Muong communities; tours visiting natural landscapes and watching live performances of ancient Muong culture; and tours showcasing Muong cuisine. Importantly, Hoa Binh must have a systematic and sustainable policy for planning and preserving the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Muong people, as well as other ethnic groups; and guide ethnic communities towards effective economic transformation.

Clouds and rice fields in Y Tý (Lao Cai).

Springtime tea gardens in Moc Chau, Son La.

Springtime in the village (Van Ho, Moc Chau).

O Quy Ho Pass, Sa Pa, Lao Cai.

Oolong tea hill (Sa Pa, Lao Cai).

Plum blossoms in Moc Chau (Son La).

Furthermore, Hoa Binh should expand its linkages with Hanoi to build a comprehensive value chain, effectively exploiting the Muong culture of both regions. Currently, the Muong ethnic community in Hanoi districts such as Thach That, Quoc Oai, and Ba Vi is thriving. With good cooperation, this could become a unique collaborative product between the Northwest region and the capital city. To achieve this, I believe Hoa Binh and Hanoi could coordinate programs to preserve Muong cultural heritage; jointly promote and advertise activities; and invest in building convenient connecting infrastructure.

In addition, Hoa Binh should invest more in infrastructure and accommodation to attract tourists from major tourist markets such as Hanoi for weekend getaways or MICE tourism (tourism combined with meetings and events).

I have participated in many projects of foreign organizations supporting Vietnam in developing community-based tourism in various localities and have observed that foreign experts, when deciding to support community-based tourism development projects in Vietnam, always conduct very thorough surveys. Not every ethnic minority village can be developed into a community-based tourism village; it needs to be based on natural conditions, cultural identity, and the community cohesion of the local people.

This shows that the management role of local authorities is very important. Local authorities need to have regional tourism development plans based on surveys and assessments of the actual conditions, capabilities, and needs of the people. For community-based tourism, cultural identity plays a crucial role; it is also the basis for creating unique values that attract tourists. Currently, many places are being concretized, losing their identity. Therefore, local authorities need to invest in a focused manner, gradually restoring the ethnic identity of each village; educating people to preserve their cultural identity; and having clear investment policies, including investment orientations such as ensuring that tourism facilities respect the landscape of the villages, use environmentally friendly materials, and are suitable for the lifestyle of the people, avoiding indiscriminate and scattered investments that disrupt the landscape and lead to the concretization of structures.

Furthermore, when developing community-based tourism villages, it is necessary to promote the role of leaders, such as village chiefs, to mobilize and harness the strength of the local community. In many provinces of Northwest Vietnam, community-based tourism villages have been successful because the village chiefs have a strong voice and can call on the ethnic community to participate and respond.

Developing tourism in Hoa Binh will not only contribute to the economic and cultural development of the province, but also benefit the entire Northwest region. Therefore, close cooperation between Hoa Binh and other provinces will create economic strength for the whole region.

Frankly speaking, community-based tourism in Hoa Binh province in particular, and many provinces in the Northwest region in general, has had some successful models as well as some unsuccessful ones due to a lack of management and marketing skills. The development of community-based tourism faces difficulties due to a lack of experience and coordination between management levels and local communities, as well as the gradual loss of ethnic cultural identity in many areas.

Currently, the development of products from local livelihoods and culture has been underway, but there is still much untapped potential, such as products made from brocade fabrics and local cuisine. Therefore, localities need to strengthen the connection between supply and demand, ensure product quality and diversification, and create favorable conditions for marketing and promoting these products to tourists.

To develop sustainable community-based tourism, thereby creating a driving force for the Northwest region's breakthrough, localities need to increase investment in transportation infrastructure and tourism facilities to attract tourists; promote tourism through media channels, events, and cooperation with tourism companies and international partners; improve the quality of services and tourism human resources; ensure synergy between tourism development and environmental protection, while also ensuring the interests of local communities...

Lesson 3: The Mark of Identity from the Highlights

Lesson 4: Rising above adversity

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