Suggestions for developing a cultural tourism model for the Tho ethnic group in Nghia Dan

Mr. Luong Ba Vien - Deputy Director of the Center for Culture - Sports and Communication of Nghia Dan district

To exploit the cultural and artistic features of the Tho ethnic group to serve community tourism activities in Nghia Loi commune (Nghia Dan), we see basic advantages and challenges.

The advantage is that the potential for indigenous culture, arts and knowledge of the Turkish community is quite diverse in terms of types of activities.

There is a system of folklore clubs that regularly operate, where cultural and artistic performances are both performed and taught to different age groups. This is also a gathering place for skilled performers, folklore performers and those who are passionate about national culture.

Furthermore, the Party Committee and local authorities have a correct understanding of the socio-economic benefits of developing community tourism, and have given strong direction to implement the model. Local people are also proud to be chosen as the first community tourism model in Nghia Dan district.

However, the implementation process will face many challenges, including the fact that the people of Nghia Loi commune are not fully aware of community tourism development. The chain of agricultural products and handicrafts is not diverse and unique enough to serve the enjoyment and shopping needs of tourists.

Most of the folk performing artists are old, the content of the performance is not rich, repeating many times makes it boring. There are very few young members, if there are any, they cannot perform traditional performing arts. There is no training for young people with a deep understanding of the origin, history, and culture of the Tho people to guide tourists...

From the advantages and difficulties mentioned above, we need to fulfill the requirements well: Party committees and authorities continue to pay attention and closely coordinate with units implementing the community tourism model in Nghia Loi commune; direct the community to fulfill the requirements of community tourism activities well.

It is necessary to design a route for tourists to experience the culture of the Tho people in Nghia Loi commune with the trend of discovering and enjoying the beauty of culture and arts. There must be activities to promote the image and beauty of the community culture on mass media so that tourists everywhere know about this destination...

Dr. Tran Thi Thuy - Faculty of Tourism and Social Work, Vinh University

The Tho people in Nghia Dan district are a community that still preserves traditional cultural features, especially Lung village (Nghia Loi commune). Perhaps the impressions that visitors will have when coming to Lung village will be a village planned in a checkerboard pattern, clean, with tiled-roof houses and a peaceful rural landscape.

Also worth mentioning is the green and delicious tea, the easy-to-eat and flavorful gai cake, and many unique dishes, which are specialties of Lung village. Visitors will also be attracted by the hammock weaving technique along with the legends and other extremely unique cultural practices.

However, in tourism development in general and rural tourism development in particular, product quality is an important factor, and investment needs to be focused on to create good quality tourism products.

To meet this requirement, it is necessary to have a plan to build a system of quality, unique, diverse and valuable products, but still ensure respect for natural factors, culture, and local social system structure, while meeting the needs of tourists.

In planning and investing in developing rural tourism products here, it is necessary to avoid organizing without highlights, spreading out, overlapping, and duplicate products inside and outside the locality where tourism activities are organized.

Nghia Dan is a locality with many products associated with agricultural activities and rural life. It is necessary to skillfully exploit these factors, both to help tourists understand the cultural characteristics, daily life, cuisine, and handicrafts of the people, and to increase tourism revenue from visitors' shopping.

Ms. Nguyen Huong Giang - Vietravel Tourism Company, Nghe An branch

After experiencing the Tho ethnic culture tour, I realized some shortcomings that need to be improved. Those are the facilities, accommodations and tourist areas that do not meet the needs of a cultural tour. This makes it difficult to accommodate large groups of tourists, especially when they want to stay to fully enjoy the cultural experience.

The representation of Turkish culture is also lacking in clarity. Despite certain efforts, it is still not possible to convey the vitality and diversity of this unique culture. There may be a need to increase cultural interactions and performances so that visitors can truly understand and feel more deeply the characteristics of the Turkish people.

To improve the shortcomings in the experience of the Tho ethnic cultural tour in Nghia Dan district, I boldly propose some solutions as follows: Invest in building or upgrading accommodation areas and rooms to meet the needs of tourists. Improve amenities, cleanliness and safety standards.

Organize interactive activities and cultural performances to help tourists better understand the traditions, customs, and lives of the Turkish people; train tour guides with extensive knowledge of Turkish culture so that they can convey information in a more lively and engaging way.

Connect with local communities to create integrated activities, creating opportunities for tourists to participate in real cultural activities. Encourage community participation in maintaining and developing cultural activities, thereby creating authenticity and uniqueness in tourism experiences. At the same time, seek funding and support from various sources of the Government, NGOs, and investors to improve facilities and services.

By combining these solutions, infrastructure will be upgraded and local communities will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to make the most of their tourism and cultural potential. This will not only create a better experience for visitors but also contribute to the sustainable development of the community.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Bac - Chairman of PhucGroup Tourism System

In recent times, along with scientific research on preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the Tho ethnic group, a number of tourism experiences related to exploring the unique cultural features of this ethnic group have also appeared.

However, how to attract and convince tourists to come and experience regularly, contributing to the socio-economic development of the locality is a big problem. Perhaps the method of communication and marketing of cultural tourism is the answer.

Traditional marketing includes a wide range of advertising activities (flyers, direct mail, television or radio, newspapers, etc.). Advertising materials must be placed in public places, easily visible and must attract tourists.

To make traditional marketing activities highly effective, it is necessary to plan to reach the right target customers such as: Connecting university halls, cultural centers, booths of major events such as fairs, conferences related to culture and tourism in the area.

The frequency of images appearing at cultural and tourism events will create curiosity about the new destination. In particular, with the goal of making tourism a key economic sector, Nghia Dan district has been focusing on developing tourism associated with preserving and promoting traditional cultural values.

Along with places like Hon Mat, Truong Gia Farm, Phu Quy Flower Valley or exploring the TH dairy farm system..., the element of exploring the Tho ethnic culture will be a suggestion with a strange spice to attract tourists; eliminating the monotony of an experiential journey.

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