Aspiration to rise

Born and raised in Nam Hong, a poor village deep in the rugged mountains of Thong Nguyen commune, Hoang Su Phi district, Ha Giang province, Trieu Menh Kinh understands better than anyone the difficulties and hardships of the people here. The steep mountainous terrain, difficult transportation, and economy mainly based on slash-and-burn agriculture make the people's lives in need all year round.

In 2009, the young man Trieu Menh Kinh joined the army, becoming a soldier of Regiment 98, Division 316. After being discharged from the army, Trieu Menh Kinh was assigned to the reserve unit of Battalion 6, Hoang Su Phi District Military Command. Witnessing the poor life of his family and people, he struggled to find a new direction to develop the economy and improve the lives of the people. From here, Trieu Menh Kinh had an important turning point when he decided to learn about the tourism sector. He shared: “After being discharged from the army, I went to Panhou Tourism and Trade Services Company Limited to learn and work with people with knowledge and vision, thereby forming a new mindset about a different direction for myself and my homeland”.

Mr. Trieu Menh Kinh (far left) takes photos with foreign tourists visiting and experiencing the locality.

After three years of hard work, Trieu Menh Kinh has accumulated valuable experience. He also has a growing awareness of the unique tourism potential hidden in his homeland. Besides hope, he still cannot help but worry about the inherent difficulties of the locality: steep mountainous terrain hinders transportation, small terraced fields are difficult to cultivate, and do not bring high economic efficiency. Through many sleepless nights, he has nurtured the idea of ​​turning those challenges into opportunities, into unique tourism products, bearing the mark of Hoang Su Phi.

However, realizing that he lacked experience and a systematic method to start a successful business, in 2013, Trieu Menh Kinh decided to “go down the mountain” and travel alone to the “capitals” of developed community tourism such as Bac Ha, Sa Pa (Lao Cai), Mai Chau (Hoa Binh), Dong Van, Meo Vac (Ha Giang). In each area, he spent several months directly observing, meticulously researching, listening and learning about how to organize, manage and develop community tourism in a systematic and effective manner.

Initial challenges

Based on the knowledge and experience he learned, in 2015, Trieu Menh Kinh returned home, determined to start a tourism business based on community culture, linked to agricultural production with an initial capital of only 5 million VND. With this small capital, he started by renovating his family's house, turning part of the living space into a place to welcome the first tourists. He also made decorative items with the strong Dao cultural identity by hand, and learned how to cook traditional ethnic dishes to serve guests.

Mr. Trieu Menh Kinh (far left) takes photos with foreign tourists visiting and experiencing the locality.

The early days of starting a business were full of challenges, not only in terms of limited capital but also in terms of changing the traditional mindset of the locals and building trust with unfamiliar tourists. Mr. Kinh had to persistently go to each house to explain, mobilize people to participate, share the benefits and prove the effectiveness of the new tourism model. Attracting the first tourists was also a difficult problem, requiring him to promote himself on social networking sites, design simple flyers to introduce the beauty of Nam Hong and the unique cultural experiences that tourists can have.

In early 2017, when he saw that the tourism development direction began to bring positive results, he mobilized a number of like-minded youth union members in the village to join in establishing a cooperative, named Nam Hong Village Community Tourism Cooperative, initially with only 5 enthusiastic young members. The members contributed capital to build small homestays imbued with local culture, organized traditional cultural exchanges and guided tourists to explore the wild natural beauty of this land. Thanks to the right direction, the cooperative has grown stronger and stronger, attracting more members to participate, bringing a stable source of income, gradually improving the lives of the villagers. Not only creating jobs for more than 20 local workers, the cooperative also contributes to reducing the number of young people having to leave their hometown to work far away, preserving traditional cultural identity.

Up to now, Nam Hong Community Tourism Cooperative has built Hoang Su Phi Bungalow resort with 14 closed bungalows and 2 community houses, surrounded by large garden spaces, along with homestay areas with free infinity pools. Of which, 8 homestays have met accommodation standards, capable of accommodating 120-200 guests per night. The cooperative's revenue in 2024 will reach 1.8 billion VND, the average income of workers working at the tourism cooperative will reach 6-7 million VND/person.

Coming to Nam Hong village community tourism cooperative, visitors not only admire the majestic natural beauty but also receive attentive service with meals imbued with the typical flavors of Ha Giang mountains and forests. The cooperative also organizes rich tourism experiences, helping visitors discover the unique traditional cultures of ethnic minorities such as: participating in traditional crafts, immersing in the daily life of the people through production labor sessions with them, or discovering the majestic beauty of Ha Giang through tours designed specifically according to the needs and interests of each group of visitors.

The highlight is that the cooperative has successfully built a closed service chain model, from farming and providing fresh food for tourists, to a team of friendly, culturally knowledgeable local tour guides and unique art performances, recreating traditional cultural features. It is this professionalism and unique cultural values ​​that have helped the Nam Hong village community tourism cooperative to be honored as a 4-star OCOP product of Ha Giang province.

Mr. Trieu Menh Kinh (far right) takes photos with foreign tourists visiting and experiencing the locality.

The positive changes that the community tourism model has brought to the lives of each resident of Nam Hong village. A typical example is Ms. Trieu Mui Moang, a young Dao woman who had to leave her hometown to work as a worker, but has now returned and become an enthusiastic tour guide. She expressed: “I am very proud to introduce the unique culture of my people to tourists. This job helps me love and understand my homeland more.” For Mr. Trieu Ta Choi, a middle-aged man who was previously only familiar with rice fields, opening a small homestay to welcome tourists has brought a new breeze to his family’s life. He confided: “But thanks to the enthusiastic guidance of the cooperative, now my family has a significant monthly income, enough to take care of life.”

With his continuous contributions, Trieu Menh Kinh has been recognized by authorities at all levels with many prestigious certificates of merit, including the Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister in 2019 and many Certificates of Merit from the Chairman of Ha Giang Provincial People's Committee from 2017 to 2024 for his outstanding achievements in the startup movement, patriotic emulation and tourism activities...

Sharing about his journey, Trieu Menh Kinh expressed: “For me, community tourism is not only an economic model, but also a mission. It is to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values ​​and unique natural landscapes of my homeland, while bringing a prosperous and happy life to the people. I hope that my experience will help other localities in the province develop community tourism, contributing to building my homeland Ha Giang more and more prosperous and beautiful.”

Article and photos: TRAN HAO

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/cuoc-thi-nhung-tam-guong-binh-di-ma-cao-quy-lan-thu-16/nguoi-gioo-mam-du-lich-cong-dong-835841