Ta Phin is a home of Red Dzao group, located near the famous town of Sapa. Over the last 6 years, the PATA Foundation and Capilano University have partnered in an effort to support a Community Tourism Training Project in Northern Vietnam, including Ta Phin. The project has been designed to provide practical tourism training to help two communities in the Sapa region reduce poverty, improve their quality of life, and help provide sustainable authentic cultural and nature based experiences for visitors to their communities.
Last year, RTC was proud to invite the Red Dzao women group and the volunteering group from Capilano University to come meet and introduce Ta Phin CBT Products to RTC members who are potential partners in selling their tourism products in Ta Phin. This year, the great women from Ta Phin had a chance to visit Hanoi again and called us in for a sit-down casual talk on the good news of community tourism in Ta Phin after a year.
A year passed by and RTC’s members could clearly see the efforts and improvement in sustaining the CBT Project in Ta Phin of the town’s leading role models, Red Dzao “business women”. Tour Operators of RTC have been pleased with their presentation on their changes regarding market demand and toward target customer’s tastes. Most of them have understood the importance of diversifying the activities for customers during their stay and adding qualified value-added services to generate the benefit from each visit. As such, the livelihoods of the local people would eventually be improved and that would encourage them in sustaining CBT in the site.
Ms.Wells, Capilano University’s representative, hosting the meet-up
The traditional red hats brighten the meeting room
Ms.Ly May Phan with her sleeping child on her back, excitedly introduces her homestay service to TOs
Discussion on the upgrades of CBT Ta Phin
Q&A session between the Red Dzao women, Ta Phin Red Dzao owners, and Tour Operators
Happily receiving hand-made gift from the Red Dzao women
Big smiles on everybody’s face for a successful meet-up
In the next session, Mr.Vu Duc Hieu, Director of Muong Studio, has introcuded his dream-become-true project, Muong Studio, a masterpiece collection of everything about Muong and beyond. With the first idea of building a museum to preserve the colorful culture of Muong in the mother land of Muong group, 6 years have passed by with great outcome from a passion of a Hanoian artist, Hieu Muong (Hieu’s nickname). Located on a green uphill in Hoa Binh, 70km away from Hanoi, total area of around 5 ha, Muong Studio is a perfect space for into-culture visitors.
Hieu Muong presenting his passion Muong Studio
Muong Studio got everybody’s interest
Looks like RTC team should prepare for inspecting Muong Studio soon
The presentation on new responsible products is an useful suggestions for Tour Operators who are looking for qualified product, yet responsible, CBT Ta Phin and Muong Studio is RTC’s recommendation. The two projects have been planned and implemented with respect to local community, culture and environment and the development practictioners doing great jobs so far. More importantly, RTC team could clearly see the responsbile attitude sparkling from the eyes of each presenter.
Lan Chi