Professionalizing community tourism in Xuan Son National Park

PTO- Community-based ecotourism is being identified as one of the three main development directions of Vietnam tourism sector. With the advantages of geography, topography, natural resources, cultural and tourism potential, the type of community-based tourism has been established in Xuan Son National Park since 2010 and increasingly attracting the number of visitors through every year.

In the middle of May, a first receptionist training class for the homestay was co-held by the Department of Culture - Sports and Tourism and Hanoi Tourism College in Du village for households who run community-based tourism activities in the commune, staffs of Xuan Son National Park and some households in Kim Thuong commune, Tan Son district. During 3 days of training, local people have learned to the basic knowledge and practice of making various kinds of drinks. In addition, the skills of table service, processing of traditional dishes and some for foreign guests have been also guided methodically. This training class not only improved the service skills, but also significantly contributed to raising the awareness of households in improving the quality of service to meet the needs of customers.

Besides focusing on equipping knowledge and professional skills, Xuan Son National Park will also have a "transformation" with a series of investment items such as traffic improvement; public toilets; the logo and gate of the community-based tourism village of Xuan Son National Park; a system of signboards; cultural houses of the Dao and Muong ethnic people in association with reception and management centers. Along with that, supporting in improvement of the Dao and Muong ethnic people"s houses in accordance with traditional identity; providing technical equipment and professional consultancy for households running homestay tourist activities; upgrading power lines, telecommunication systems, mobile broadcasting towers, system of waste treatment, waste water, etc., also implemented. In a series of solutions, the construction of community-based tourism products are paid special attention. In addition to the main tourist products including ecotourism, resort and cultural tourism, other tourism products will also be invested such as experient tourism: building more walking routes, education programs on environmental protection, biodiversity, camping, participating in agricultural production activities. farming, planting or harvesting corn crops, etc.

In addition, it can be proposed to study the construction of a garden for collecting and storaging precious plant genetic resources, indigenous orchids and several flowering plants in seasons, making the beautiful landscape around the year to serve tourists.

With the system of synchronous equipment, the knowledge of tourism professional skills and the Xuan Son National Park’s potential and advantages on tourism development, it can be sure that the tourism activities here will be more and more professional and becoming a new attractive tourist destination of the province.

Kim Thu