Developing community tourism in Tan Son

As one of the 15 largest national parks in Vietnam, Xuan Son National Park (Xuan Son commune, Tan Son district) is identified as an attractive tourist destination not only in Phu Tho province but also in the entire Northwest region, with many values of landscape, geology, diverse ecosystems, rich natural resources and unique traditional cultural values of the Muong and Dao people. Exploiting that potential advantage, Tan Son district has focused on implementing solutions to develop community tourism, eco-tourism, and experiences.

Tourists participate in cycling experiences, exploring the natural landscape and the lives of local people in the core area of Xuan Son National Park.

The resolution of the 5th Xuan Son Commune Party Congress, term 2020-2025, identified the development of community tourism and eco-tourism as a solution that contributes to promoting economic restructuring, increasing income, creating jobs and reducing poverty for people in the area. So far, in the commune, there are 11 homestays in operation with 45 self-contained rooms, 12 community rooms, capable of serving about 700 overnight guests to eat, sleep, and rest with products imbued with cultural features. Traditions of the people, such as: Leaf yeast wine, Tan Son stream duck, five-color sticky rice... The advantage is that tourism development helps people not have to go far to work, so when the commune has a policy, many people have enthusiastically responded. Currently, the average income per capita in the commune reaches 24 million VND/year. The rate of poor households decreased to 23.8%, near-poor households decreased to 22.5%.

Long Coc tea hill is an attractive destination in the Phu Tho tourist map.

As a new tourist attraction in Phu Tho province, Long Coc is a collection of hundreds of bowl-shaped hills located one after another. The area of tea hills here is up to 677 hectares, of which the area for growing tea to harvest is about 610 hectares. Attracting tourists with its poetic and picturesque scenery, Long Coc tea hill has become a prominent destination in Phu Tho province, especially for tourists who love taking photos, “hunting clouds” and watching the sunrise on the tea hill. In particular, to improve the quality of tourism, the locality has exploited and brought tea-producing households into tourism activities. Farmers are guided to do tourism, turning their daily work into attractive tourism products.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Toan, Chairman of Tan Son District People’s Committee, to meet the demand and increasing number of tourists, the District People’s Committee has paid attention to building and developing tourism models among local households. The District People’s Committee has also directed units to prepare documents and request the Provincial People’s Committee recognize tourist destinations in the district, including Du village community tourism site, Coi village community eco-tourism site, and Thac Ngoc biotourism site. At the same time, the district coordinates with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to support signs, boards, hoardings, and leaflets promoting tourism at tourist destinations and to build and renovate flower paths in Xuan Son. Currently, 3/3 tourist destinations have issued operating regulations. Activities to welcome guests, introduce destinations, eat and rest to serve tourists are carried out in an orderly manner, ensuring compliance with regulations.

In particular, in order to connect tourism development activities associated with community cultural tourism and agricultural and handicraft product development, the District People’s Committee has implemented the preservation of typical cultural values and colors in tourist areas and destinations such as housing, costumes, festivals and folk cultural performances in Long Coc, Kim Thuong, Xuan Dai, Xuan Son, Dong Son communes. Effectively deploy agricultural production programs and build OCOP products to serve tourism; focusing on preserving and processing traditional culinary products; pay attention to the production of special products representing national identity, handicraft weaving and production tools for tourism.

It can be said that the tourism potential in Tan Son is huge, however, in addition to the government’s direction, if this area wants to create a breakthrough, it needs the participation of experienced investors and businesses experience in community tourism.

Dinh Vu