Elderly people working in tourism.

The development of tourism in Sa Pa has opened up opportunities for many elderly people in the villages to participate in community tourism activities. Through showcasing traditional crafts, playing musical instruments, introducing local cuisine and handicrafts, they not only spread the beauty of local culture but also find joy and income in their twilight years.

Working in tourism in your later years.

Every day at 7 a.m., rain or shine, Mr. Má A Cáng is always present at the Cát Cát Tourist Area to prepare for a new day's work. For more than two years, Mr. Cáng has been a member of the Cát Cát Village Performing Arts Team, performing daily for tourists. In the team, he is responsible for playing the Hmong mouth organ and leaf horn – two traditional musical instruments closely associated with the cultural life of the Hmong people here.

"Every day, the performing arts troupe performs seven songs, and each performance is well-attended. It's a lot of fun, and people only leave after watching all the acts," Mr. Cang shared.

The cultural performances by the Cat Cat Village Art Troupe always attract a large number of tourists.

For him, the applause and encouragement from the audience are the most precious rewards, giving him the motivation to continue performing every day. A monthly income of 5 million VND from Cat Cat Tourism Company Limited helps Mr. Cang cover his living expenses, but what he cherishes most is the feeling that he is still useful, still contributing to preserving and spreading the culture of the Mong ethnic group right in his homeland.

At 75 years old, Mrs. Lu Thi May has spent nearly 10 years working at her brocade stall in the center of Cat Cat village. Her daily work involves demonstrating the technique of beeswax painting – a long-standing traditional craft of the Hmong people. With just a metal pen and a bowl of heated beeswax, her hands slowly create soft, symmetrical lines. Every day, Mrs. May sits and works right in front of her house, with a low chair and a wicker basket supporting a flat wooden board as a table. On it is a white linen cloth, next to a charcoal stove to heat the beeswax for painting patterns. Despite the marks of age on her hands, she still works precisely, without trembling or rushing.

Tourists stop in front of the stall; some buy, some just admire, but almost everyone lingers around the elderly woman with silver hair and large silver earrings, patiently painting each detail. Mrs. May doesn't speak much Vietnamese, so she rarely explains things verbally. Instead, her skillful hands are the "language" that helps viewers understand the art of beeswax painting.

Elderly people – a cultural highlight in community tourism.

The story of Mr. Cang and Mrs. May is not unique; at the Cat Cat Tourist Area, there are currently more than 30 elderly people working out of a total of nearly 250 laborers.

According to Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien, Deputy Director of Cat Cat Tourism Company Limited, one of the distinguishing features of the tourism model in Cat Cat village is creating jobs for the elderly, instead of focusing solely on young workers. Previously, when they were no longer able to work in the fields, the elderly in the village mostly stayed at home. But with the development of tourism, they have become a special workforce, as they possess the most cultural knowledge in the community.

There are over 30 elderly people working at Cat Cat Tourist Area.

Elderly people in Cat Cat village are assigned jobs suitable to their health, such as beeswax painting, flax spinning, weaving, indigo dyeing, brewing rượu (rice wine), demonstrating handicrafts, or selling products directly to tourists. The company pays them a monthly salary, and all the products the elderly people sell belong to them as their own income.

Besides improving their income, participating in labor helps elderly people maintain community connections, optimism, and a sense of usefulness. Many say that going to work isn't just for the money, but because "they get to meet customers, chat, and feel happier." The image of elderly people with gray hair, their hands still nimbly drawing with crayons, spinning yarn, etc., has become a unique highlight of the Cat Cat Tourist Area.

When elderly people are given the opportunity to participate in tourism, they not only find more joy in their old age but also contribute to enriching tourism products and spreading local cultural values ​​to tourists. The presence of elderly people makes community tourism more vibrant, authentic, and sustainable.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/nguoi-cao-tuoi-lam-du-lich-post886347.html