Ninh Thang Creates livelihoods for people from tourism activities

As a commune in the buffer zone of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, Ninh Thang commune (Hoa Lu) has many potentials and advantages in economic development, especially in the field of tourism services.

Coming to Ninh Thang these days, there are quite a lot of tourists staying in the area, almost all hotels, restaurants, and homestays are full. For local people, this is one of the busiest times of the year.

At Tam Coc Relax homestay (Tuan Cao village), tourists come to book rooms, use services... quite bustlingly. Ms. Le Thi Thu Trang, the homestay owner, said: Favored by nature, local people have many advantages to exploit tourism potential and develop the economy. Like her family, having experienced many different jobs, since 2020, her family decided to switch to homestay accommodation service business because they realized that the number of visitors to Tam Coc-Bich Dong and tourist attractions in Hoa Lu district is increasing.

With a convenient location near the entrance to Tam Coc-Bich Dong tourist area, Trang's family's homestay is quite popular. The accommodation service business is small, with only 6 rooms, so the facility is often full of guests booking rooms and registering for food services. Trang's family has 4 employees who regularly serve tourists, and at peak times, they mobilize 1-2 more employees. Revenue from accommodation service business brings in 400-500 million VND/year; this is a high and stable income compared to agricultural production and some other industries.

To promote Ninh Binh tourism as well as the homestay, Ms. Trang has promoted the introduction through digital platforms, so many foreign visitors know about it. In addition, being aware that they are people in the heritage buffer zone, Ms. Trang's family as well as many local people actively participate in activities to preserve, protect and promote heritage values through specific activities such as: Actively cleaning and sanitation of the environment, participating in building flower roads, tree roads, etc. At the same time, implementing a civilized tourism lifestyle, improving foreign language skills to better serve tourists.

As a model new rural commune in 2022, 4/4 residential areas have met the standards of a model new rural residential area and successfully built a smart commune model, making the appearance and landscape of Ninh Thang increasingly spacious and clean, creating favorable conditions for tourism services to develop. The commune has encouraged households and businesses to develop sustainable tourism. The whole commune has 43 businesses, restaurants, hotels, and homestays operating regularly and effectively, creating jobs for hundreds of local and neighboring workers. In addition, there are hundreds of small and medium-sized service businesses such as: restaurants, grocery stores, souvenir shops, etc.

In order for business activities to be in order and to implement a civilized tourism lifestyle, the commune directed organizations to focus on propaganda and training for members and union members on friendly and open attitudes when welcoming guests; selling goods at the listed price, not soliciting customers... In particular, promoting the smart commune model, local tourism service business activities effectively apply digital technology, from promotion, marketing, service and product introduction... to online payment, QR code scanning...

Comrade Nguyen Manh Hung, Chairman of Ninh Thang Commune People's Committee said: As a commune located in the buffer zone of Trang An World Cultural and Natural Heritage, in recent years, the Party Committee and the commune government have proposed solutions to promote the values of the heritage for socio-economic development, in accordance with the local situation. Ninh Thang commune focuses on developing tourism by forming models of accommodation and experience tourism, establishments and households participating in tourism services. The commune also focuses on directing the expansion and development of local occupations such as construction, carpentry, masonry, stone art, and embroidery.

In 2023, the commune's handicraft and service production will reach over 241 billion VND, an increase of 8.3% compared to 2022; the average income of the commune will reach 76 million VND/person/year; the poverty rate will decrease to 0.98%. The strong development of tourism services has significantly contributed to the development of the local economy, and people's lives have improved significantly compared to previous years. Economic development is also an important premise for Ninh Thang commune to gradually complete the criteria for building a new rural area: In 2021, it will be recognized as an advanced new rural area commune; in 2022, it will be recognized as a model new rural area commune, successfully building a smart commune model.

To promote the value of the heritage, Ninh Thang commune determined to continue to maintain and improve the criteria of a model new-style rural commune; encourage people to actively produce, do business, learn tourism-serving professions, create conditions for tourism service business models to develop and improve quality, attracting more and more domestic and international tourists to Ninh Binh.

Article and photos: Bui Dieu

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