BRINGING TOURIST TO QUANG NAM AND QUANG NGAI

From July 23^rd to July 25^th, as part of project TOURIST’s promotions,  CVSEAS’s research group, consisting of Dr. Tran Dinh Lam, Mr. Pham Thanh Thoi, and Mr. Nguyen Hong Truc, went on a field trip to three tourist attractions across the South Central Coast of Vietnam. Their destinations were Dong Gia Organic Farming Group (Cam Thanh), Cu Lao Cham Marine Park (Quang Nam), and Go Co - Sa Huynh Village (Quang Ngai).
 

The group first visited Cam Thanh commune - Hoi An City, famous for its community-based tourism with organic vegetable farms, coconut forest, and natural reserves. Doctor Chu Manh Trinh - Deputy Head of the Department of External Relation and Cooperation, Management Board of Cu Lao Cham, introduced the researchers to the members of Dong Gia Organic Farming Group; the group’s leader - Mr. Le Nhuong, gave a detailed explanation on the origin of the organic farming model, the process of connecting farms and how the group functions.

CVSEAS research group having a discussion with farmers on community-based tourism model
Mr. Le Nhuong - Group leader (leftmost)

Following the sightseeing, a Q&A session was held; CVSEAS’s researchers raised questions concerning difficulties in community-based tourism, the farm’s management and production scale. The farmers there provided helpful explanations on how they run the farm as well as their way of broadcasting the positives of organic farming to local farmers. Doctor Trinh also introduced the research group to another community-based tourism model at Bay Mau Coconut Forest.

CVSEAS introducing project TOURIST to the Fixed-priced Organic Vegetables Production Group – Cam Thanh (Hoi An)

Touring the second destination - Cu Lao Cham - Doctor Trinh narrated the journey of making a name for Cu Lao Cham and its community-based tourism; as for the researchers, they showed their interest in homestay and other services offered by the people there. Cu Lao Cham’s success was the combined efforts made by locals, businesses, researchers, and the State (the four-partner system). The Doctor also stressed the relation between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, specifically, between the forest and the sea for it decides the very fate of tourism. Thousand years worth of growth and their irreparable nature have put ecosystems in a place beyond any price.

CVSEAS introducing project TOURIST to Go Co Travel-coop (Dr. Chu Manh Trinh – first from right to left)

Despite this, developed countries traded their ecosystems for industrialization, as a result, they are paying a heavy price. Therefore, Vietnam’s tourism should avoid making the same mistake and instead, strive to protect natural reserves because, as it has shown, nature contributes greatly to the development of tourism and the livelihoods of locals. By reserving wildlife, we ensure the improvement of tourism and people’s living standard.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Diem - President of Go Co Travel-coop (second from right to left) introducing the local's homestay

On July 25th, the research group reached Go Co village, an attraction well-known for its community-based tourism in Sa Huynh - Quang Ngai. By effectively utilizing the village’s archaic aesthetic and Ly Son - Sa Huynh Geopark, the community there brought to the table a unique eco-tourism experience that they, themselves, established and maintained. Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Diem - President of Go Co Travel-coop - gave a presentation on the place’s origin, development and also cultural traces, archeological sites that exist in Go Co.

View of a beach in Go Co tourist village – Sa Huynh cultural space

The vast body of blue combined with the aesthetic taken straight from a bygone era, unique community activities, and specialties granted by the sea explained Go Co’s considerable number of inbound and outbound tourists in recent years.

Go Co’s fishermen, who also offer homestay service, expressed their joy and wishes in providing travel services. Likewise, members of the SUNGCO (Doan Anh Duong JSC) have been effectively aiding and promoting the village’s services; it seems that the four-partner system had also proven its usefulness there. 

The scenery, however, was not the sole factor contributing to Go Co’s success; the kindness and eagerness of Go Co’s people and their graceful melody also played their part. A notable thing the researchers learned was that people there want to spread their birthplace’s developments and the advantages of community-based tourism. According to some villagers “The youth of Go Co will find their way home knowing they can make a living from tourism”- a positive outlook showing people’s desire for family reunion.

The chair of the travel-coop management committee - Mr. Doan Sung wrapped up the trip by expressing his best wishes for Go Co’s tourism, environment and its kind people. As a businessman who always think about ways to reserve and cultivate cultural values, he wishes to introduce the positives of community-based tourism to more locals so that they can make a living out of it; the profit made from tourism will help the honest people of Go Co protect the ecosystem and scenery of their hometown.

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