When cooperatives participate in tourism
(Baonghean.vn) - Agricultural tourism and community tourism are effective and have developed strongly in recent years. In particular, with the participation of cooperatives, this type of tourism has flourished, not only bringing in income but also contributing to restoring and preserving the cultural identity of ethnic groups in the region.
Exploiting regional advantages
With the advantage of majestic natural scenery, poetic streams and villages, Thai stilt houses with unique cultural features. Ban Nua, Yen Khe commune, Con Cuong district has great potential for development.agricultural tourism, community tourism. Along with the policy of building Con Cuong district into an eco-tourism urban area, this potential has more favorable conditions to exploit.
In 2020, Yen Khe Commune Agricultural and Community Tourism Cooperative was established. Ms. Lo Thi Hoa - Director of the Cooperative said: Ban Nua has 100% Thai ethnic people, in the past, women only worked hard, stuck with the fields, life was very difficult. Being trained by the Japanese JICA Project and the Tourism industry, visiting and learning about tourism in many other places, she was appointed as Team Leader.Homestay,She and the cooperative have implemented many solutions to turn Nua village into an attractive tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over the world, not only helping the local people improve their livelihoods but also contributing to preserving the precious cultural identity of the nation.
Previously, many households in the village had built homestays, attracting a large number of tourists. In particular, in 2019, the homestay group in Con Cuong district welcomed 2,300 visitors, including foreign visitors. The establishment of the cooperative has created a bond between members, organized training courses to equip and improve skills in serving tourists; and found solutions to promotetourism productsof the region, linking with areas specializing in orange and medicinal plant production in the area to build community tourism routes, village tourism connecting with agricultural experience areas, creating agricultural tours. Along with that, selecting local people with the ability to train, improve knowledge and skills in agricultural tourism, and participate in linking tours.
In the current conditions of strong development of tourism, we determine that, to attract customers, the first essential thing is that the services must have the strong identity of the Thai people in Con Cuong, with their own unique features.
Since then, she has proposed to restore the rattan, bamboo weaving and brocade weaving of the Thai people, the products are linked to be consumed and become tourist attractions that are excited and popular with tourists. From the need to learn about traditional indigenous culture of tourists, people have found ways to restore dances and songs that are at risk of being lost. The rattan and bamboo weaving products of the cooperative are completely handmade, bearing the typical patterns and aesthetics of the Thai people in Con Cuong district. The cooperative also established a brocade weaving group, weaving traditional shirts, skirts, scarves, shirts, embroidered bags... with rich motifs and patterns, very popular with tourists, especially foreign visitors.
From those effective solutions, more people know about Nua village, the number of visitors is increasing, each year the cooperative welcomes 3,000-3,2000 visitors, creates jobs and income for more than 30 local people, all households doing community tourism have stable income, escape poverty, become well-off and rich households. ModelBan Nua community tourismhas been promoted in Japan and deployed and replicated in other provinces and cities in Vietnam.
If the previous versionHoa Tien(Quy Chau) is famous for its famous brocade weaving craft, but in recent years, this land has also been known as an attractive tourist destination. Originally an ancient Thai village, belonging to the old Chieng Ngam Muong with 100% of the original Thai people living for hundreds of years through many generations, Hoa Tien village still retains many typical Thai cultural features. The whole village has more than 300 ancient stilt houses, Hoa Tien is also considered the "cradle" of brocade weaving and embroidery in Quy Chau, with diverse products, blankets, pillows, cushions, skirts, scarves, head scarves, bags, wallets, delicate and rich patterns...
In 2010, Hoa Tien Brocade Weaving Village Cooperative was established. Up to now, brocade products under the Hoa Tien Brocade brand have been present in many big cities such as: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Ha Long, and are even popular in high-value markets such as: France, Germany, Japan...
Ms. Sam Thi Bich, member of the CooperativeHoa Tien community tourismsaid: The cooperative was established in 2018 with 6 members. We were trained and instructed on how to welcome and serve tourists, clean the environment, decorate houses, and prepare dishes with typical Thai cuisine. During the operation, members are always ready to coordinate and support each other when needed to bring the best service to tourists. Up to now, the village has more than 10 households that are qualified to serve guests with meals and accommodation at home, 2 houses have been upgraded to community guesthouses.
Every year, Hoa Tien village welcomes thousands of visitors, of which about 40% are visitors from other provinces and foreign visitors from countries such as the US, China, Japan, Thailand and Africa... Many tourists have returned to experience brocade weaving, mulberry picking, silkworm feeding, cultural and artistic exchanges with artisans with stream melodies, gongs, carving beds, lam vong dance, bamboo pole dancing, wine festival, wrist tying...
The members of the cooperative have stable incomes, escape poverty, and some households have become well-off and rich. Hoa Tien village has 2 products recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as meeting OCOP standards, including 4-star brocade products and 3-star community tourism in Hoa Tien village.
Capacity building of cooperatives
In recent years, from the advantages of natural conditions and products imbued with regional culture, a number oftourism cooperativewas born. Members create conditions to support each other to develop community tourism, attract tourists to visit, experience, create 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 Agricultural and Community Tourism Cooperative, Khe Ran Village Agricultural and Community Tourism Cooperative, Diem Village Tourism Cooperative (Con Cuong), Muong Long Agricultural and Tourism Cooperative (Ky Son)...
The participation of cooperatives in "doing" tourism is a fairly new direction but has proven to be very effective in economic development, increasing income for members, increasing income for rural people, creating consumption for local products and especially, contributing to making the province's tourism environment richer and more attractive.
However, to develop this type of economy, there are still many problems. Most cooperatives can only meet the needs of tourists for food and accommodation at a simple level, and do not have many professional tourism skills... According to Ms. Lo Thi Hoa - Director of Yen Khe Tourism Cooperative, because they have not been combined with tourist routes, the number of tourists is still low, promotion and attraction of tourists are limited; without proper training, lack of tourism knowledge and skills, the service for tourists is not professional.
According to the leader 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 improve tourism skills for organizations, individuals and members in tourism skills, practical skills, explanation, culture, and attitudes in serving tourists; create support and linkage between cooperatives and travel agencies and tourism companies inside and outside the province to promote products to a large number of tourists. There are policies to support the development of community tourism to improve the capacity of cooperatives.
