Thua Thien-Hue emphasises community tourism development

Community tourism attracts scores of visitors

The province has abundant potential and advantages for developing community-based tourism, with the distinctive traditional cultural identity of the ancient land that is home to diverse ethnic minorities.

However, the development of community-based tourism model in this province is still slow, not commensurate with the great local development potential and is struggling with a lack of investment, monotonous tourism products, limited tourism infrastructure and human resources, and low awareness among local residents about the importance of community-based tourism development, among others.

The number of tourists coming to Hue under the community tourism model is still modest. According to recent statistics, the total number of tourists coming to Hue surpassed 4.3 million last year, but only about 300,000 of these visitors came to the location through the community tourism or eco-tourism models that were associated with the community. Many community tourism sites are still struggling to attract visitors.

At the eighth session of the seventh Provincial People's Council in the 2016-2021 term, the People's Council of Thua Thien Hue agreed to adopt policies to support community tourism development at 14 community tourism sites in various districts, towns, and cities in the province by 2025 with a total budget of VND30.85 billion ($1.34 million), 70 per cent of which will come from the local budget and the rest from non-state sources.

In light of the approved resolution, the construction of roads connecting the national highways, provincial roads, and district roads to local tourist spots will be supported, with support level not exceeding VND2 billion ($87,000) per tourism spot.

For the construction of internal roads at tourist sites, support level will not exceed VND1.5 billion ($65,200) per tourist spot.

Each tourism spot will also be supported to invest in a parking lot with the space of at least 200 square metres and a partial roof for guests to stop and wait before getting on and off.

Ecotourism associated with community tourism

The level of new investment support must not exceed VND200 million ($8,700) per tourist spot, whereas support for investment upgrades shall not exceed VND50 million ($2,200) per tourist spot.

In respect to support in building accommodation facilities (homestay model) at community tourism sites, new construction support level must not exceed VND30 million ($1,300) per room, up to VND100 million ($4,350) per facility for three rooms; the level of support for renovation and repair shall be VND15 million ($650) per room, not exceeding VND50 million ($2,200) per facility.

In respect to support the construction and development of products and services at community tourist sites such as restoring folk art, cuisine, traditional occupations, ecotourism products, support level must not exceed VND50 million ($2,200) for a tourism product or VND250 million ($10,900) per community tourism site.

In addition, there will be a supportive fund to organise training courses and professional training, and foster knowledge about community tourism; training tour guide teams, skills in the field of tourism, foreign languages, and in the management, operation, and development of community-based tourism models.