During our recent field trip to Bản Sưng (Sung Village), our research team had the opportunity to learn from local women about their experiences in developing community-based tourism and the importance of putting the community at the heart of tourism development.
As they shared, Bản Sưng may not have been the first destination to develop tourism, but what makes its model distinctive can be summed up in two words: community and collaboration. Tourism is not the responsibility of a few households; it is a collective effort in which everyone has a role to play and a share in the benefits.
One notable feature is its clear division of responsibilities between an advisory group and an implementation group. The advisory group, comprising village leaders and people knowledgeable about local cultural traditions, provides guidance and direction. Meanwhile, the younger implementation team works directly with tour operators, coordinates tourism services, and helps ensure that visiting groups are distributed among participating households. Members also organise themselves into groups based on their interests and expertise, including traditional giấy dó (handmade paper), Dao Nôm script, traditional textile-making, and communications.
These groups transform local cultural heritage into meaningful tourism experiences. For example, traditional giấy dómaking has been revived not only as a way to preserve ancestral knowledge but also as a tourism product. Visitors can experience the papermaking process firsthand, purchase handmade paper as souvenirs, or write postcards using this traditional paper.
Equally important is the spirit of mutual support among households. Tourism services have gradually expanded from an initial household offering accommodation to more diverse options that respond to visitors’ needs. In 2024, for instance, one household introduced private accommodation with four rooms to cater to smaller groups, such as families and friends. Households learn from and support one another, creating opportunities for collective growth.
The benefits also extend beyond households directly involved in tourism. Families that raise livestock, such as pigs and chickens, can supply meat and eggs to households providing food services. In this way, community-based tourism creates a wider local economic network, allowing more members of the village to benefit from tourism.
Finally, tourism is not the community’s sole source of livelihood. Many households continue their daily agricultural activities alongside tourism-related work. This diversified livelihood model helps reduce dependence on tourism and strengthens household resilience during disruptions, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic when tourism activities came to a standstill.
The experience in Bản Sưng offers an important lesson: sustainable community-based tourism is not simply about attracting visitors or creating tourism products. It is about building a system in which local people collectively preserve their cultural heritage, participate in decision-making, create economic opportunities, and share the benefits of development.
Our thanks to the local community and the women who generously shared their experiences and insights with our research team!
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Tác giả/Author: Hoàng Ánh
Bản quyền hình ảnh/Photo Credit: Nhóm nghiên cứu/Research team
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