On December 2, the People's Committee of Nha Trang City (Khanh Hoa Province) organized a workshop on "Project for Developing Community Tourism in a Green and Sustainable Direction in Bich Dam", with the aim of receiving opinions and suggestions to further improve the Project before promulgation.
Conference scene. Photo: Thanh Nguyen
Bich Dam (Bich Dam residential group) or Bich Dam island village, located on Hon Tre island, Vinh Nguyen ward, about 8 nautical miles (15km) from Nha Trang, is the farthest island village in the city. The area currently has 210 households with nearly 900 people, living mainly on fishing and aquaculture.
Bich Dam is over 250 hectares wide, with great potential for community tourism development with beautiful landscapes, clean environment, good security, wide sandy beaches for overnight camping, and the ability to restore the craft of crafting souvenir products from shells, snails, shrimp, etc. There are traditional festivals with deep cultural imprints, unique attractions such as Bich Dam Communal House, Bich Son Pagoda and Hon Lon lighthouse - one of the 5 oldest lighthouses in Vietnam.
According to the draft Project on Developing Green and Sustainable Community Tourism in Bich Dam, the goal is to recognize this place as a community tourism destination by 2025. By 2030, it will attract over 30,000 visitors (40% international visitors) to visit annually; creating regular jobs for about 500 workers.
Bich Dam residents mainly live on fishing and aquaculture. Photo: Duc Thao
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Minh - Vice Chairman of Nha Trang City People's Committee, the development of community tourism in Bich Dam has gradually taken shape but is still spontaneous, fragmented, not commensurate with the local potential, has not yet built a coordination mechanism between households and participants in community tourism, the role of the government and tourism enterprises in community tourism has not been fully promoted.
The above project was developed by the locality to orient and propose solutions for developing community tourism in Bich Dam, creating a legal basis for planning, building policies and mechanisms to attract investment, encourage the development of community tourism, build a coordination mechanism for participants in community tourism, contributing to sustainable tourism development.
Mr. Phan Dinh Phung - Deputy Director of Khanh Hoa Province Department of Tourism, commented that the target of Bich Dam welcoming 30,000 tourists, of which 40% are international tourists, is "high", but completely achievable if there are suitable and feasible solutions.
"Nha Trang City needs to soon approve the Project on community tourism model in the city in general and Bich Dam island area in particular to serve as a basis for implementation and support for the community tourism model in Bich Dam island area to meet the prescribed criteria,...", Mr. Phung said.
Location of Bich Dam Residential Group. Photo: Google Maps
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi - Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Fisheries Association, noted that developing community tourism "must be based on the people and by the people". "If we do it for them, there will never be sustainable community tourism", Mr. Hoi emphasized, adding that promoting traditional indigenous values, mobilizing maximum resources to develop community tourism in Bich Dam; "relying on nature" to protect nature, preserving green and clean landscapes and environments.
Mr. Hoi also suggested that the locality determine the spatial location of Bich Dam and Hon Mun sea area in the functional zoning diagram of Nha Trang Bay sea, such as Hon Mun Conservation Space, Space for fishing, seafood farming, tourism, etc.; Building, renovating, upgrading infrastructure;... "Going to the sea to promote advantages, to turn advantages into benefits for the country must be a top priority direction", he affirmed.
Presenting some solutions to promote the development of community tourism models in Bich Dam, Mr. Phung suggested that the Nha Trang authorities exploit local culinary values to become menus serving tourists,... Exploit unique local folk cultural and artistic values such as singing, playing instruments, drawing,... to create products for visitors to participate and enjoy. Along with that, restore local traditional occupations, use local labor and materials to produce goods to serve tourists, contributing to improving the material and spiritual life of local people.
Bich Dam Communal House was ranked as a provincial historical and cultural relic in 2012. Photo: Duc Thao
Ms. Pham Minh Nhut - Permanent Vice President of Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Tourism Association, said that the locality needs to develop the Project as mentioned above with specific locations, including clear plans, goals, and investment resources for each stage. “On that basis, Khanh Hoa tourism industry will support individuals and organizations participating in investment, perfecting the criteria of locations, community tourism models to serve visitors to visit and experience; connecting with travel agencies, promoting communication to attract tourists to Bich Dam”, Mr. Nhut said.
Mr. Nhut also proposed a number of solutions to develop typical tourism products for Bich Dam, emphasizing the need for preferential policies to call for and attract investment capital for tourism infrastructure development, building a tourism service supply chain in Bich Dam; Training and improving the quality of tourism human resources in residential groups.
Proposing solutions to make Bich Dam's image more widely known, Dr. Do Thi Mai Doan Thuc - Head of the Faculty of Tourism, Thai Binh Duong University, said that communication and promotion of Bich Dam needs to be carried out continuously, strongly and consistently. The local community needs to be encouraged and actively participate in promotional and communication activities to convey the most authentic messages and images, as well as pride in life and culture on the island.
"Communication and promotion strategies at each stage of development of this tourist destination also need to be adjusted appropriately, measuring feasibility and effectiveness", Ms. Thuc noted.
Mr. Nguyen Phi Hong Nguyen - representative of Viet Promotion Service and Tourism Company Limited proposed that in the next year, travel businesses will be allowed to participate in the project, closely following the contents of the project on preparing facilities and training human resources in Bich Dam; Coordinate with relevant units to appraise and contribute ideas to form a basic route to build a product route suitable to the current status of the island.
In the next stage, in parallel with exploitation, travel businesses will actively contribute to building and training service skills for the people, meeting the needs of tourists visiting Bich Dam./.
