The "pioneering" move brings both joy and concern.
In a way, this shift from spontaneous tourism development has not only enabled local people to sell their agricultural products and create jobs to increase their income, but has also driven up land prices in the area.
In La Ngau commune, a remote rural area of Tanh Linh district, also home to ethnic minorities, the area has changed significantly since National Highway 55 was built, connecting the region. The real improvement is attributed to the rural tourism development plan and the initiative by local people to develop tourism based on the rivers and streams in Hamlet 2. This has led to higher incomes for residents and increased land values in the area. Similarly, in Da Mi commune (Ham Thuan Bac district), durian prices have been high this year, and the addition of a self-developed tourist area provides visitors with places to stop, eat, and enjoy cloud watching and hydroelectric lake tours, a significant advantage considering the lack of any other tourist attractions in this region with great tourism potential. In the ethnic minority areas of Phan Lam and Phan Son (Bac Binh district), especially along a long, desolate, hilly road, the rest stops and shops not only provide travelers with a place to rest and recover from fatigue along the way, but also contribute to rescue efforts and provide information to the authorities. Over the past few months, the income of the local people has increased, thanks to working at these makeshift rest stops and eateries. The owner of a rest stop on National Highway 28B said that he has been paying six workers, all children of ethnic minorities, 6 million VND per month for the past few months. And on Phu Quy Island, it goes without saying that most of the island's residents have earned additional income from tourism services...
All the consequences of spontaneous tourism development in recent times have caused concern among local authorities, despite issuing directives to halt operations and request self-dismantling. For example, in Tanh Linh, Document No. 1517 issued on July 21, 2023, the Chairman of the District People's Committee instructed the La Ngau Commune People's Committee to issue two notices to spontaneous tourism businesses to dismantle and relocate temporary structures and stand-up paddleboards located within the water source protection corridor. If they do not comply, enforcement measures will be taken. The document also strictly prohibits all forms of organizing activities such as swimming in rivers and streams, paddleboarding, and operating temporary rafts to transport tourists across rivers; and all forms of overnight accommodation. However, it also directs relevant departments to review current legal regulations and advise the District People's Committee to seek opinions from provincial departments and agencies to guide investors and residents in implementation and development. Meanwhile, the Ham Thuan Bac District People's Committee established an inspection team to visit the spontaneously built tourist area on Da Mi Lake, drew up a report, and demanded that the business cease operations and dismantle the structures to restore the original state. Failure to do so will result in a fine of 125 million VND and forced demolition. The private enterprise was also required to follow administrative procedures outlined in Decision No. 2190 of the Provincial People's Committee, issued on October 18, 2022, regarding the announcement of the list of administrative procedures and internal processes for resolving newly issued administrative procedures in the field of dam and hydroelectric reservoir safety under the management of the Binh Thuan Provincial Department of Industry and Trade.
Why are the authorities concerned?
For Phu Quy Island, behind the initial joy of seeing the local people's efforts in community-based tourism so successful lies the concern about violations of regulations regarding the misuse of land. At a meeting with the Provincial Party Standing Committee at the end of July 2023, regarding the results of the 2.5 years of implementing the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress and the Resolution of the 11th District Party Congress, term 2020-2025, the District Party Standing Committee proposed two issues related to obstacles in tourism development on the island. These were: allowing households to engage in aquaculture using cages at sea combined with food service businesses, contributing to the district's tourism development; and allowing people to operate food and beverage businesses under trees on agricultural land, provided that the land use purpose is not changed, contributing to job creation and improving the lives of island residents.
Phu Quy's proposal is also the desire of other districts. The issue, as anyone interested can understand, is that the spirit of community-based tourism development among the islanders and even in rural areas on the mainland with tourism potential, which has been explored over the past few months, is on the rise. Although there may be deviations from the intended path, the authorities in these areas want to guide people through the investment procedures to conduct business in accordance with the law, especially in areas already included in tourism development plans. For example, in La Ngau commune, specifically in the Ta My stream area, is one of the two pilot models for rural tourism development by 2025 in Tanh Linh district. Similarly, along National Highway 28B, the section from Song Binh commune to Phan Lam and Phan Son also has some areas where land has been planned for commercial and service purposes. The Da Mi lake area in Ham Thuan Bac district is only slightly over 100 hectares (over 500 hectares are in Tanh Linh district), but the district is also considering the needs of interested investors to plan a zoning for a tourist area, especially since the Ham Thuan lake tourist area zoning plan was approved in July. It's noteworthy that while the Ham Thuan hydroelectric reservoir has a water level fluctuation of up to 30 meters, the Da Mi hydroelectric reservoir has a water level fluctuation range of only 1 meter, reaching a maximum of only 3 meters. This is also one reason why private businesses can quickly build spontaneous tourist areas on the lake to attract visitors, citing the reason that their business registration includes mobile food and beverage services and boat tours on Da Mi lake…
And after all, there are ambiguities in using land for its intended purpose for tourism development. For example, it is difficult to clearly define whether land designated for commercial services on agricultural land is used for building huts, camps for tourists to rest, or homestays… Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is developing guidelines for tourism development on agricultural land based on the tasks assigned by the Government in Resolution 82 on key tasks and solutions to accelerate the recovery and development of tourism effectively and sustainably. Therefore, the authorities of these districts are waiting for these guidelines to implement, which will also pave the way for people to engage in rural tourism.
Mr. Bui The Nhan, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated: "Over the past seven months, tourism activities in the province have been successful, with a significant increase in visitor numbers, partly due to ecotourism and agricultural tourism. Notably, there have been no complaints from tourists, despite the fact that spontaneous community-based tourism has flourished. Regarding cases of self-built structures in planned tourism development areas, I believe that local authorities should halt these activities and guide residents through the necessary investment procedures to ensure they operate legally. This is a way to encourage people to continue their efforts in tourism, especially since the facilities they have built spontaneously still exist, thus avoiding wasted resources and protecting tourism resources, creating tourist destinations for the province."
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BICH NGHI - PHOTO BY N. LAN
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