In the context of rapidly developing but unsustainable community tourism , Lao Cai has chosen a cautious approach, building community tourism villages that meet ASEAN community tourism standards. This is not just about standardizing according to regional criteria; it's also an effort to preserve local cultural spaces and improve livelihoods for the people.
Lao Cai province has identified the development of community-based tourism villages that meet ASEAN community-based tourism standards as a strategic step to standardize community-based tourism activities, preserve local cultural spaces, and improve livelihoods for the people. In this process, Nghia Do and Lam Thuong communes have been selected as pilot models at the provincial level, serving as a basis for learning and replication in the coming years.
In recent years, community-based tourism has become an important development direction for Lao Cai province. With its advantages in natural landscapes and diverse cultural identity, the province has developed many community-based tourism destinations, attracting an increasing number of tourists. However, in practice, most models are still developing spontaneously, on a small scale, lacking coordination, and failing to fully meet the requirements for governance, service quality, and sustainable development.
In the context of regional integration, Vietnam's tourism industry is gradually approaching common ASEAN standards, including the ASEAN Community Tourism Standards. This set of criteria comprises 10 groups with 171 indicators, covering everything from ownership, community management, service quality, cultural preservation, and the environment to safety, social welfare, and innovation. In reality, to date, only a few accommodation establishments nationwide meet ASEAN homestay standards, while the number of community tourism villages that meet ASEAN standards remains very small.
Lao Cai's proactive approach to adopting this set of standards is a pioneering step, not only to improve the quality of local tourism but also to move towards a systematic approach for community-based tourism in Vietnam.
Upon review, community-based tourism models in Nghia Do and Lam Thuong have only met some basic criteria, mainly regarding ownership, community management, food and beverage service quality, and accommodation facilities. More challenging criteria such as social welfare, environmental protection, tour quality, guidance, hygiene and safety, and innovation remain "gaps" requiring investment over the next several years. This shows that building community-based tourism villages that meet ASEAN standards is not a "race" but a long-term process.
Of the two selected locations, Nghia Do is considered a prime example of community-based tourism development linked to the preservation of traditional culture. It is a place that still preserves relatively intact the cultural space of the Tay people, with over 1,000 stilt houses, Then singing styles, weaving crafts, and local cuisine still vividly present in daily life.
Not only rich in cultural resources, Nghia Do is also a clearly defined locality on the province's community tourism map. The commune currently has "core" villages for preservation with a high percentage of traditional stilt houses; many cultural values have been recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage; and the cluster of homestays in the area has been awarded the ASEAN Homestay Award. The "Nghia Do Community Tourism Village" brand has also been protected, creating a favorable foundation for the systematic and controlled development of tourism.
According to the province's guidelines, the goal in Nghia Do is not limited to developing individual accommodation facilities, but aims to build a complete community-based tourism village space, in which the community plays a central role, directly participating in management, organizing services, and benefiting from tourism activities.
Alongside Nghia Do, Lam Thuong has been selected to develop a community-based ecotourism village model. The area possesses relatively pristine natural landscapes, suitable for developing tourism linked to forests, agriculture, and nature-based experiences. Many homestay and farmstay models have already emerged, initially creating new livelihoods for local people.
According to local authorities, the biggest limitations currently are the lack of synchronized tourism infrastructure, the incomplete community management mechanism, and the limited investment resources of the people. Adopting ASEAN community tourism standards is identified not as a short-term goal, but as a step-by-step approach to standardizing community tourism activities.
Mr. Do Van Luu, Chairman of the Nghia Do Commune People's Committee, said: "Building a community tourism village that meets ASEAN standards has been identified by the locality as a key task for the 2025-2028 period, aiming to create a foundation for tourism development associated with cultural preservation and improving the lives of the people."
According to the province's roadmap, the two community tourism village models in Nghia Do and Lam Thuong will focus on standardizing the foundation in 2025; the period from 2026 to 2027 will be for investment, operation, and completion of the remaining criteria; aiming for evaluation, recognition, and replication of the model in 2028.
From a sustainable development perspective, building community-based tourism villages that meet ASEAN standards not only creates more high-quality destinations for Lao Cai tourism, but more importantly, lays the foundation for a community-centered approach to tourism. When standards do not diminish identity, but instead become a tool for proactively and sustainably preserving that identity, community-based tourism can truly have a long-term future.
Presented by: Thuy Thanh
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/xay-dung-lang-du-lich-cong-dong-tieu-chuan-asean-post891314.html
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