Tourists to the ancient capital of Hue will have the chance to enjoy
the real life of the old city rather than just viewing relics or
landscape as they usually do.
Community-based
tourism was included in the city authorities' strategy to attract 3
million tourists by 2015, confirmed Ngo Hoa, deputy chairman of Thua
Thien-Hue provincial People's Committee.
With the support
from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the city chose
the model of traditional markets on Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridges in
Thuy Thanh commune to develop.
In fact, the Thanh Toan
market day was revitalised during the Hue Festival and gained tourists'
applause. However, only the tourists who went on tours were introduced
to the spot. In addition, few local households got involved in providing
the service so the number of beneficiaries remained limited.
JICA will help set up an office for the village's tourism management
which will monitor the local tourism quality and enlarge the service
scale so more local residents can take participate in tourism.
Travel agencies and information providers are encouraged to cooperate
in bringing more tourists to the destination. Field trips will be
organised to test out tour quality.
Elsewhere in Phong
Dien district's Phong Hoa commune, Phuoc Tich ancient village, which is
home to 40 hundred-year-old “nha ruong” (houses built with many beams
and pillars), has been selected to develop home-stay tours.
JICA also sent Mizokami Yoshihiro, a Japanese ceramic expert to help
the village maintain its traditional ceramics production through
creating new products based on their traditional technique. More than 20
villagers, most of them elderly artisans, took part in the programme.
The community-based tourism not only refreshes tourism in the old city
but also helps create more jobs and improve the incomes of local people.
Apart from JICA, the Netherlands Development
Organisation SNV helped 70 local residents get jobs as tourism service
providers and craft sellers for Huyen Tran cultural centre in An Tay
ward.
This is a good way to promote Hue cultural
values and the easiest way for local people to market their traditional
crafts, Hoa said. -VNA