When cooperatives participate in tourism

Leveraging regional advantages

Blessed with majestic natural scenery, picturesque streams, and traditional Thai villages and stilt houses showcasing unique cultural features, Bản Nưa in Yên Khê commune, Con Cuông district, has immense potential for development.agricultural tourismCommunity-based tourism. Along with the policy of developing Con Cuong district into an eco-tourism urban area, this potential has even more favorable conditions for exploitation.

In 2020, the Yen Khe Community Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative was established. Ms. Lo Thi Hoa, the Cooperative's Director, said: "Nua Village is 100% Thai ethnic minority. Previously, women were just toiling in the fields, and life was very difficult. After receiving training from the Japanese JICA Project and the Tourism industry, and visiting many other places to learn about tourism, I was appointed as the Cooperative Leader."Homestay,She and the cooperative have implemented many solutions to transform Nua village into an attractive tourist destination, drawing visitors from all over, not only helping the local people improve their livelihoods but also contributing to preserving the valuable cultural identity of the ethnic group.

Previously, many households in the village had built homestays, attracting a considerable number of tourists. In particular, in 2019, the homestay group in Con Cuong district welcomed 2,300 visitors, including foreign tourists. The establishment of the cooperative has created a bond between members, organized training to equip and improve skills in serving tourists, and found solutions for promotion.tourism productsThe region should link with areas specializing in orange and medicinal herb production to develop community tourism routes and village tourism routes connecting with experiential agricultural areas, creating agricultural tourism tours. Along with this, select capable local people to train and improve their knowledge and skills in agricultural tourism, and participate in linking these tours.

In the current context of rapidly developing tourism, we have determined that, in order to attract tourists, the first essential element is that services must reflect the unique and distinctive identity of the Thai people in Con Cuong.

Ms. Lo Thi Hoa - Director of the Yen Khe Commune Agricultural and Community Tourism Cooperative, Con Cuong District

From there, she proposed restoring the rattan and bamboo weaving and brocade weaving crafts of the Thai ethnic group, linking the products for guaranteed sales and turning them into tourist attractions that are enthusiastically and popularly enjoyed by visitors. Driven by tourists' desire to learn about local traditional culture, the villagers have sought to revive dances and songs that are at risk of disappearing. The rattan and bamboo weaving products of the cooperative are entirely handmade, bearing the distinctive patterns and aesthetics of the Thai people of Con Cuong district. The cooperative has also established a brocade weaving group, producing traditional shirts, skirts, scarves, embroidered bags, etc., with rich patterns and designs, which are very popular with tourists, especially foreign visitors.

Thanks to these effective solutions, more people have come to know about Nua village, the number of visitors is increasing, and each year the cooperative welcomes 3,000-3,200 visitors, creating jobs and income for more than 30 local people. All households involved in community tourism have stable incomes, escaping poverty and becoming well-off or wealthy. This model...Bản Nưa community tourismIt has been promoted in Japan and implemented and replicated in other provinces and cities in Vietnam.

If previously the versionHoa Tien(Quỳ Châu) is famous for its renowned brocade weaving, but in recent years, this area has also become known as an attractive tourist destination. Originally an ancient Thai village, belonging to the former Chiềng Ngam district, with 100% of its inhabitants being ethnic Thai people who have lived there for hundreds of years and many generations, Hoa Tiến village still retains many distinctive features of Thai culture. With over 300 ancient stilt houses, Hoa Tiến is also considered the "cradle" of brocade weaving and embroidery in Quỳ Châu, producing a diverse range of products including blankets, pillows, mattresses, skirts, scarves, headscarves, bags, wallets, with exquisite and rich patterns…

In 2010, the Hoa Tien Brocade Weaving Village Cooperative was established. To date, brocade products under the Hoa Tien Brocade brand are available in many major cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Ha Long, and are even popular in high-value markets such as France, Germany, and Japan.

Ms. Sam Thi Bich, a member of the CooperativeHoa Tien community tourismAccording to the cooperative, established in 2018 with 6 members, we received training and guidance on how to welcome and serve tourists, maintain environmental hygiene, decorate our homes, and prepare authentic Thai dishes. During operation, all members are ready to cooperate and support each other when needed to provide the best possible service to tourists. To date, the village has more than 10 households that meet the requirements to provide accommodation and meals for guests, and 2 houses have been upgraded into community guesthouses.

Every year, Hoa Tien village welcomes thousands of visitors, about 40% of whom are from other provinces and also foreign tourists from countries such as the United States, China, Japan, Thailand, and Africa. Many tourists have returned to experience weaving brocade, picking mulberry leaves, feeding silkworms, and engaging in cultural and artistic exchanges with artisans, including traditional dances, gong music, furrow carving, Lam Vong dance, bamboo pole dancing, enjoying the rice wine festival, and tying threads around wrists.

Members of the cooperative have stable incomes, escaped poverty, and some households have become well-off or wealthy. Hoa Tien village has two products recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as meeting OCOP standards: brocade products achieving 4-star standard and Hoa Tien village community tourism achieving 3-star standard.

Enhancing the capacity of cooperatives

In recent years, taking advantage of favorable natural conditions and products deeply rooted in regional culture, sometourism cooperativeIt has been established. Members facilitate and support each other in developing community tourism, attracting tourists to visit and experience, creating livelihoods and income.

According to preliminary statistics from the Provincial Cooperative Union, there are currently nearly 10 tourism cooperatives in the province, mainly located in mountainous districts, such as: Mon Son Community Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative, Khe Ran Village Community Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative, Diem Village Tourism Cooperative (Con Cuong), Muong Long Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative (Ky Son)...

The involvement of cooperatives in tourism is a relatively new approach, but it has proven to be very effective in economic development, increasing income for members, improving the income of rural people, creating demand for local products, and especially contributing to making the province's tourism environment richer and more attractive.

However, developing this type of economy still faces many challenges. Most cooperatives can only meet the basic needs of tourists for food and accommodation, lacking the skills to operate professionally in the tourism sector. According to Ms. Lo Thi Hoa, Director of Yen Khe Tourism Cooperative, the low number of tourists, coupled with limited promotion and attraction efforts, is due to the lack of formal training, knowledge, and skills in tourism, resulting in unprofessional service to tourists.

According to the leaders of the Provincial Cooperative Union: In order for tourism cooperatives to develop and improve their operational efficiency, it is necessary to promote training, equip and enhance the tourism skills of organizations, individuals, and members in tourism expertise, practical skills, presentation, culture, and attitude towards serving tourists; create support and linkages between cooperatives and travel agencies and tourism companies inside and outside the province to promote products to a wide range of tourists. Policies supporting community tourism development should be implemented to enhance the capacity of cooperatives.