Development of Community-Based Tourism in Cao Bang and Ha Giang

 PERIOD: From 2015- 2019

INTRODUCTION                                                                     

Given the rich cultural and natural assets of Northern Vietnam, HELVETAS has decided to fund CRED for the implementation of the community-based tourism (CBT) project with an aim to contribute to livelihood improvements for ethnic minority communities in Cao Bang and Ha Giang provinces.

KEY PARTNERS

• District People Committees of Hoang Su Phi district and Culture and Information Division of Hoang Su Phi district.
• Culture, Sport and Tourism Department of Cao Bang province, District People Committees of Trung Khanh and Quang Uyen districts.
• Tour Operators/ Travel Agencies.

OBJECTIVES

1. Increase sustainable income for ethnic minority households in selected locations through development of CBT;
2. Contribute to improving environmental conditions of selected communities through waste management and awareness raising;
3. Contribute to preserve traditional cultures of local people in their own rights.

APPROACH

• Develop market based and pro-poor value chains, Market System Development;
• Participatory process involving communities, tourism companies, tourism experts and local authorities in the development of community-based tourism;
• Skill and knowledge development to support tourism communities provide high-quality products and services;
• Mainstream Economic, Environmental, Social and Cultural sustainability dimensions in project interventions;
• Promote People – Private – Public Partnership for the development and marketing of tourism;
• Advocate government authorities to offer enabling policies for the development of tourism.

KEY RESULTS

•  Almost 1,200 people, 454 are ethnic women, trained on specific CBT skills to participate in tourism business including homestay services, hospitality, cooking, guide, porter, xe-om driver, handicraft, cultural performance, farm experiencing, provision of food stuff for tourism services (vegetable, meat, honey, etc.).
• 30 different tour programs were developed and promoted on website www.vietnamresponsibletourism.com, while homestay services are on booking.com, Facebook, Airbnb, Traveloka.com and tourism forums.
• Through the promotion of FAM trips, business linkages established with 30 travel companies, of which 15 companies have sent tourists regularly to the regions.
• An estimated 8,966 visitors (4,195 international; 4,559 domestic and 212 business travelers) have visited project sites only in 2018.
• Authorities of both Hoang Su Phi (Ha Giang) and Trung Khanh (Cao Bang) have actively participated in CBT and are now leading the organization of annual tourism festivals: BanGioc Waterfall Festival and Hoang Su Phi Terrace Festival.