Deputy Director of An Giang Tourism Department, Nguyen Trung Thanh, said An Giang is one of the localities with favorable conditions for developing community-based tourism. With the unique ecosystem of the Seven Mountains region, with cajuput forests, lakes, mountains, and diverse natural landscapes, along with the rich cultural identity of the Cham and Khmer people, An Giang possesses unique tourism resources. Places like Cham village in Chau Phong, An Phu; Khmer villages in Tri Ton, Tinh Bien; Cam mountain, Sam mountain, Tra Su Cajuput Forest ... create a system of natural and cultural values very conducive to forming experiential products linked to community life.

As tourists increasingly prefer authentic experiences, close to nature and local culture, An Giang can definitely develop products like: visiting Cham weaving villages; experiencing Khmer festivals and Robam dance; exploring ecology-springs- forest; enjoying traditional cuisine; and staying at community homestays.

These products not only attract domestic tourists but also fit the international tourism trend towards sustainability and respect for local identity. Dr. Vu Thi Uyen from Hanoi University of Culture shared: “When heritage is well-preserved, heritage tourism creates stable livelihoods for locals, encouraging them to be custodians and disseminators of heritage values. This creates livelihoods for people.

Tourism development is linked to preserving and promoting heritage values, creating a sustainable cycle: preservation aids development, development aids preservation”.

The unique cultural values of the Cham and Khmer people, along with festival activities, traditional arts, textile weaving, and local handicrafts... are identified as core elements to form community-based tourism products with the province's distinct identity.

Alongside this, the rich ecosystem of the Seven Mountains region, Tra Su cajuput forest, Cam mountain, Sam mountain... creates favorable conditions to develop eco-tourism and experiential products, combining culture with nature. However, for community-based tourism to develop in the right direction and bring real benefits to people, we also need to acknowledge existing challenges: fragmented products, uneven service quality, limited digital transformation capacity of the community, and limited promotion activities.

Deputy Director of Vietnam National Tourism Administration, Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai, suggests An Giang's tourism sector should focus on standardizing community-based tourism services, strengthening regional links, and connecting businesses. Especially, they should pay attention to communication and digital transformation in tourism. Supporting communities to build images and tell stories about local community-based tourism products on social media... will help An Giang's tourism get wider recognition.

Mr. Mohamed, residing in Chau Phong commune, shared: “We want guidance from authorities on how to operate homestays, build culinary menus for tourists, organize cultural experiences and traditional crafts, and communicate with tourists. Especially, guidance on filming, photography, content editing, and promoting products on digital platforms to market and interact with tourists”.

According to Nguyen Trung Thanh, An Giang's tourism sector will review and select some typical communities to build community-based tourism models professionally linked to traditional crafts in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. These models must balance local culture, natural ecology, and market demand. The Cham communities in An Phu and Chau Phong, Khmer villages in Tri Ton and Tinh Bien, and households around Cam mountain and Tra Su are particularly suitable for piloting.

News by Trung Hieu

Translated by HN