Elderly people working in tourism

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

Working in tourism in old age

Every day at 7am, rain or shine, Mr. Ma A Cang is still present at Cat Cat Tourist Area to prepare for a new working day. For more than 2 years, Mr. Cang has been a member of the Cat Cat Village Performing Arts Team, performing daily for tourists. In the team, he is responsible for performing the Mong flute and leaf trumpet - two traditional musical instruments closely associated with the cultural life of the Mong people here.

"Every day the Art Troupe performs 7 shows, and every show is crowded with customers. It's a lot of fun. People only leave after watching all the shows," Mr. Cang shared.

The art program performed by Cat Cat Village Art Troupe always attracts many tourists.

For him, the audience's applause is a precious reward, motivating him to stick with his daily performance work. The income of 5 million VND per month from Cat Cat Tourism Company Limited helps Mr. Cang have more conditions to cover his living expenses, but what makes him appreciate it most is the feeling that he is still useful, still contributing to preserving and spreading the culture of the Mong people right in his homeland.

At the age of 75, Mrs. Lu Thi May has been working at the brocade stall in the central area of ​​Cat Cat village for nearly 10 years. Her daily job is to demonstrate the beeswax painting technique - a long-standing traditional craft of the Mong people. With only an iron pen and a bowl of heated beeswax, her hands slowly create soft, symmetrical lines. Every day, Mrs. May sits to work right in front of her porch, with a low chair and a rattan basket placed on a flat wooden board as a table. On it is a white linen cloth, next to a charcoal stove to heat the beeswax for drawing patterns. Although her hands are marked by age, she still works precisely, without shaking or rushing.

Tourists stopped in front of the stall, some to buy, some just to watch, but almost everyone lingered at the place where the old lady with silver hair, large silver earrings, patiently painted each pattern. Mrs. May did not speak much Mandarin, so she rarely explained in words. Instead, her skillful hands were the “language” that helped viewers understand the beeswax painting profession.

Elderly people - cultural highlights in community tourism

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

According to Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien - Deputy Director of Cat Cat Tourism Company Limited, one of the differences of the tourism model in Cat Cat village is creating jobs for the elderly, instead of focusing only on the young labor force. Previously, when they were no longer strong enough to work in the fields, the elderly in the village almost just stayed at home. But when tourism developed, they became a special labor force, because they were the ones who held the most cultural knowledge of the community.

There are more than 30 elderly people working at Cat Cat Tourist Area.

The elderly in Cat Cat village are assigned jobs that are suitable to their health, such as: beeswax painting, linen spinning, weaving, indigo dyeing, wine making, handicraft demonstrations or selling products directly to tourists. The company pays a monthly salary, and all the products the elderly sell belong to their own income.

Not only does it improve income, but participating in labor helps the elderly maintain community connection, optimism and a sense of usefulness. Many people say that going to work is not only for money but also because "you get to meet customers, talk, and feel happier". The image of old people with gray hair, still nimbly drawing wax, spinning thread... has become a unique highlight of Cat Cat Tourist Area.

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

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