Community tourism in Western Nghe An is ready to welcome guests back

Ready to welcome guests

After a period of having to close or operate at a standstill due to the impact of the epidemicCovid-19Up to now, many community tourism spots and homestays in Western Nghe An are ready to welcome tourists back.

Ms. Lang Thi Tam - Head of Hoa Tien Community Tourism Cooperative (Chau Tien, Quy Chau), a famous Thai ethnic community tourism destination in Quy Chau, said: During the Covid-19 outbreak, thehomestayin the cooperative have flexibly converted to many other activities to maintain their existence, such as brocade weaving, organizing culinary services. Currently, when the tourism industry is gradually opening up to welcome international tourists, homestays are also being renovated to ensure the best service when tourists visit.

Homestay in Hoa Tien village (Chau Tien, Quy Chau) is ready to prepare services and traditional products to serve the needs of tourists when it reopens. Photo: Tien Dong

Ms. Tam also said that on average, each homestay can accommodate 25-30 guests per night. In addition to connecting and coordinating with authorities to build destinations, tours, and routes, homestays here have been proactive in preparing facilities and materials to prevent the epidemic.

At each location, many boxes of masks, hand sanitizer, and even Covid-19 test kits are prepared to ensure the safety of visitors when arriving and leaving. Disinfectant spraying equipment is also ready to disinfect immediately after the arrival of visitors.

Thai ethnic villages in the mountainous district of Que Phong are ready to become tourist destinations. Photo: Tien Dong

The Western Nghe An region consists of 11 districts and towns with 6 ethnic groups living there. There are many historical and cultural relics, diverse customs and practices, which are great potential for developing community tourism and eco-tourism. Currently, this region has 6 districts where homestay tourism associated with community tourism has appeared, such as: Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, Ky Son, Thanh Chuong, Quy Chau, Que Phong.

In particular, according to Ms. Tam, during the long break due to the epidemic, homestays also had the opportunity to re-evaluate their operations, thereby improving service skills, especially in guiding and introducing unique local cultural features to tourists.

Homestays have also sent people to attend training courses and training in guiding skills, so that when needed, anyone can become a tour guide to introduce visitors and guests. At the same time, they have created new dishes and more attractive services to attract tourists.

Mr. Sam Thanh Hoai - Chairman of Chau Tien Commune People's Committee said: Currently, there are 7 homestays in the commune. The locality has also developed plans to develop tourism, build regulations and codes of conduct for tourists for the people. At the same time, assign the branches to organize environmental sanitation and village landscape to serve community tourism. Because currentlycommunity tourism in Quy Chaumainly concentrated in Hoa Tien village, so the road leading to the village is also being urgently completed, ensuring convenient travel for tourists.

The 7-storey waterfall tourist destination in Hanh Dich commune (Que Phong) promises to be an attractive destination for tourists in the near future. Photo: PV

At the 7-storey waterfall tourist site (Hanh Dich commune, Que Phong), although located about 30km from the district center, currently in this area, a system of homestays, rest areas, and wooden houses, serving the needs of eating and resting when visiting the waterfall of tourists have also been prepared.

Mr. Ha Thanh Long - Vice Chairman of Hanh Dich Commune People's Committee said: Currently, around the waterfall area, there are a number of homestays built, and the tourism industry has chosen them as destinations in the journey to explore Western Nghe An. To ensure the landscape around the waterfall area, the commune only allows households to build huts and houses of wood and bamboo, ensuring environmental hygiene and epidemic prevention are also top priorities.

In Con Cuong district, many homestays, after operating at a standstill for a while, are now ready to welcome guests. In 2021, homestays in Con Cuong earned only VND889,000,000 from community tourism. When the tourism industry reopens to international visitors, many homestay households hope that revenue will increase.

Ensuring safety when returning to operations

Mr. Duong Hoang Vu - Chairman of Que Phong District People's Committee said that although the homestay and farmstay system has only recently appeared in the district, it has initially built a brand and is known to many tourists. However, to be able to welcome international and out-of-province visitors requires more investment, especially in facilities, infrastructure, and must have close links with other community tourism spots in the whole province.

Leaders of Que Phong district conduct a survey to call for investment in building an experience tour on the Hua Na Hydropower Reservoir. Photo: Dang Cuong

Although community tourism is the development orientation for local tourism in the coming time, however, due to development pressure, we should not rush into activities without ensuring the infrastructure, especially in disease prevention work.

Mr. Duong Hoang Vu - Chairman of Que Phong District People's Committee

Before opening to welcome international tourists, in recent times, Nghe An Tourism Department has also coordinated with tourism experts to complete the survey and perfect the new adventure tourism product "Conquering Pu Xai Lai Leng peak", eco-tourism experience "Kayaking - walking, climbing (trekking) - mountain biking (mountain bikking)" from Pha Lai, Xieng village to Co Phat village, Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district; build community tourism models in Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, Quy Chau... to serve the needs of tourists and tourism products to experience flower gardens in the western districts of Nghe An.

Mon Son Valley, where the Giang River and the poetic Pha Lai Dam are located, is an ideal stopover for tourists. Photo: Sach Nguyen.

In 2022, Nghe An tourism industry strives to welcome and serve 3.3 million tourists, including 10,000 international visitors, 3 million staying guests, and tourism service revenue reaching 3,000 billion VND.

Recently, Nghe An Tourism Department has also coordinated with travel agencies to build caravan tours "Discovering Western Nghe An" with options from 3 to 6 days or "Discovering Western Nghe An route" with 6 days and 5 nights traveling across the routes from Northwest to Southwest Nghe An.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - Director of Nghe An Department of Tourism

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - Director of Nghe An Department of Tourism said: With many tours and routes built to explore Western Nghe An in recent times, it is very important that community tourism sites, homestay systems, and farmstays have facilities and services ready to meet the needs of tourists. The industry has also asked localities to pay attention to investing and developing new products and services to create diversity and avoid boredom. In particular, it is necessary to improve professionalism in welcoming and serving tourists, contributing to building a friendly and hospitable image of Nghe An community tourism to domestic and international friends./.