Efforts to 'awaken' Pu Mat tourism treasure

Efforts to promote potential and advantages

In 2011, Con Cuong district had the first 3 homestays in Nua village (Yen Khe) supported by JICA. Up to now, the number of homestays in the district has increased to about 7-8 establishments, spread across 3 communes: Mon Son, Yen Khe and Luc Da, concentrated in Xieng village (near Pha Lai dam), Mon Son commune. When the JICA project ended, many families boldly invested in building homestays.

Buffer zone of Pu Mat National Forest. Photo: Quang Dung

Mr. Tran Dinh Ngoc - owner of Ngoc La homestay in Xieng village, Mon Son commune said: His family invested in building a tourist service facility that serves both food and accommodation with an investment of more than 1 billion VND. His family's homestay, like other households, mainly operates seasonally, with the peak tourist season in Mon Son - Luc Da being the summer, from April to August every year. Therefore, most of the tourist services from construction, house renovation, bedroom decoration and cleaning, garden care to preparing dishes for tourists are all undertaken by the homestay owner.

“Most of the tourism business owners are directly involved in the service, ensuring attentive service and saving on labor costs,” said Tran Dinh Ngoc, adding that all other homestay owners in Mon Son want to promote the existing cultural values ​​of their homeland to develop the tourism service industry; in which, the greatest potential is Pu Mat National Park. Pu Mat has long been an international brand, the center of the world biosphere reserve. The core communes of Pu Mat National Park have majestic, pristine natural landscapes and a rich historical and cultural identity of many generations of people.

People in Mon Son commune clean up traffic routes and invest in building homestay facilities to serve community tourism. Photo: Hoai Thu

In April 2024, the authorities and people of Mon Son commune were busy preparing for the Mon Son - Luc Da Festival with cultural exchange activities, arts, sports and fishing competitions on the Giang River. "This is the second year that the Mon Son - Luc Da Festival has added a fishing competition on the river. Initial results show that this activity has attracted a large number of people to participate, creating excitement for the festival. Every festival, all the villages are bustling and joyful, people are excited to increase production, labor and initially form a mindset to develop community tourism services" - Mr. Luong Van Hoa - Chairman of the People's Committee of Mon Son commune said.

Mon Son is also the cradle of the revolutionary movement with the landmark of being the birthplace of the first Party cell of the Western Nghe An region, associated with the Con Chua banyan tree and the relic of Mr. Vi Van Khang's house. Preserving and promoting historical values ​​is also an important content contributing to enriching services and destinations for tourism in the Mon Son - Luc Da region.

Head of Thai Hoa village Vi Van Hai said that the relic of Vi Van Khang's house in Thai Hoa village is always a place that the villagers care about and protect.

Tourists visit the “red address” of Vi Van Khang’s House Relic - where the first Party cell in the Western region of Nghe An was established. Photo: Hoai Thu

“Currently, the Vi Van Khang House Relic - where the first Party cell establishment ceremony of the Western Nghe An districts took place - has just started upgrading and expanding the relic site. Along with tourism activities associated with visiting historical relics, Thai Hoa town people will have more income from developing food and beverage services, resting and exchanging goods when the number of tourists increases, especially during the peak season of the Mon Son - Luc Da festival and the Muong Qua market sessions" - Mr. Vi Van Hai expressed.

Mr. Lo Van Thao - Chairman of Con Cuong District People's Committee said that developing eco-tourism is the strategic orientation and goal in the district's spearhead economic development. The district pays special attention to promoting the economic values ​​of tourism in the core area of ​​Pu Mat National Park. In 2023, the number of tourists coming to Con Cuong increased by more than 110,000 compared to the previous year, bringing in revenue of more than 89 billion VND, of which a large number of tourists came to the Mon Son - Luc Da area. In even-numbered years, Con Cuong district also chooses the Mon Son - Luc Da area as the opening point of the district's tourism year, helping to attract more and more visitors to Mon Son - Luc Da in particular and Con Cuong in general.

Muong Qua market exchanges agricultural products and handicrafts of ethnic minorities in Mon Son - Luc Da area - one of the highlights attracting tourists. Photo: Hoai Thu

There are still many difficulties

Mr. Luu Trung Kien - Deputy Director of Pu Mat National Park said that the unit has regularly coordinated with localities to exploit tourism activities according to the Project on exploiting tourism and services of Pu Mat National Park in the period of 2017 - 2025.

The Management Board has also completed the dossier to propose the recognition of Pu Mat National Park as an ASEAN Heritage Park; and is gradually completing the dossier to nominate Pu Mat National Park as a national park on the green list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Green List). When the proposals are recognized, it will be a great advantage in developing tourism services for localities located in the core zone of Pu Mat National Park.

The survey team of the Department of Tourism surveyed the walking route in Pu Mat primeval forest. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

Despite such great potential, tourism development here still faces many difficulties and obstacles. On January 19, 2024, a working delegation of the Provincial People's Committee led by Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De had a meeting with the Management Board of Pu Mat National Park. Here, the working delegation assessed that the exploitation of tourism and core services in Pu Mat National Park is not commensurate with the potential and strengths. The infrastructure serving tourism and service activities is degraded and does not meet the requirements. Attracting investment and joint ventures to exploit tourism and services has not been implemented.

Currently, in the core zone of Pu Mat National Park, there are still 200 Dan Lai households living, but they have not been allocated residential and production land. In the photo: Ban Bung, Mon Son commune, where 100% of Dan Lai people live, most families are living in temporary bamboo houses. Photo: Hoai Thu

In addition, in the core zone of Pu Mat National Park, there are currently more than 200 households with over 1,000 Dan Lai people living, but they have not been allocated residential land and production land to stabilize their lives, causing many difficulties in forest management and protection, forest fire prevention and biodiversity conservation as well as ecotourism development...

Pu Mat National Park is located in the Northern Truong Son ecological region and is named after the highest mountain peak in the region - Phu Mat peak at 1,841m. Coming to Pu Mat National Park, visitors can admire the wild beauty of the primeval forests upstream of Khe Thoi, Khe Bu, Khe Choang, Cao Veu... Pu Mat National Park is one of the typical National Parks of Vietnam, with rich natural resources with 2,500 plant species belonging to 160 families and nearly 1,000 animal species. Of which, there are 70 rare species in the Vietnam Red Book; there are many rare animal and plant gene sources that need to be prioritized for conservation. At the same time, with a terrain spanning 3 districts of Anh Son, Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, Pu Mat National Park is also home to the Mong, Thai, Dan Lai ethnic groups with a unique cultural identity, a potential highlight for community tourism development.

Map of Pu Mat National Park area. Photo: Google Maps

Source: https://baonghean.vn/no-luc-danh-thuc-bau-vat-du-lich-pu-mat-post288048.html