H’mong people participate actively in community tourism

This is part of the community tourism training project carried out by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Foundation, Canada’s Capilano University and Hanoi Open University.

Ly Thi My along with 10 other H’mong have, for the first time, come to Hanoi for training. They have been participating in tourism activities for years. However, they’ve never received any training in tourism or sales, nor do they understand English. Therefore, the project Community Based and Sustainable Tourism Training in Vietnam (CBT Vietnam) was initiated to teach these H’mong the basics about tourism.

Chris Carnovale, Manager of CBT Vietnam Project, Capilano University in Canada, said: "After the training courses, the H’mong now know how to perform online sales and everyone has their own business cards for tourism activities. Thanks to home-stay tourism, many H’mongfamilies have successfully preserved the craft of brocade making and are more determined to protect the forests for sustainable tourism".

Ly Thi My, Lao Chai Commune, Sa Pa District in Lao Cai Province, said: "I want to see more tourists coming to our village for home-stay! That way we can make more money!".

It is the first time that a H’mong market day has been organised in Hanoi, selling their signature product: brocade fabrics, and it marks a good beginning. Hopefully, after this project, community tourism will start to flourish in the north-western region.