Potential "gold mine" Ban Hoc

>> Spring trip to Ban Hoc

>> Ban Hoc: Community tourism destination

Located about 3 km southeast of Son Thinh town center, Ban Hoc mineral spring was discovered by local people a long time ago. With water temperature ranging from 43 - 45 degrees Celsius, rich in minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and especially high sulfur content, this water source is considered to have significant healing and relaxation value.

Realizing this great potential, since 2019, some households in Ban Hoc have boldly invested in developing a community tourism model based on mineral springs. Up to now, the whole village has more than a dozen households joining together to develop community tourism services.

Mr. Sa Van Huong - Owner of Huong Kim homestay shared: "Promoting the potential of hot mineral springs, my family boldly invested in building a tourism service business and officially opened to welcome guests in early 2021. Up to now, my hot mineral spring tourism facility has been certified as a 3-star OCOP".

According to Mr. Huong, the hot mineral water after being drawn up will be processed through a filter tank system using advanced technology, ensuring it is clear and clean. On average, there will be 1-2 guests on weekdays, and on weekends, the rooms are almost fully booked. Tourists mainly come here at the end of the year.

Identifying tourism development as a long-term direction, Mr. Vi Quang Huy - Owner of Huy Huong community tourism establishment has focused on investing in facilities associated with local cultural identity values ​​right from the beginning of the idea. "My point of view on tourism is to preserve the traditional cultural features of my people. Therefore, each type of service business at the establishment, I associate with a unique cultural feature and identity of the local people. Therefore, when visitors come to my establishment, they always feel the closeness, warmth, and once they come, they will never forget it" - Mr. Huy shared.

In addition to serving local tourists, community tourism establishments in Ban Hoc also cooperate with some neighboring tourist attractions to serve tourists for sightseeing, relaxation and experience such as: Suoi Giang, Lau Camping Phinh Ho. In addition, these establishments also combine activities such as xoe dance, bamboo dance, campfire to interact with tourists. Some establishments also cooperate with production units to display typical local agricultural products, contributing to promoting and consuming products.

Ms. Le Thi Hoa, a tourist from Hanoi, shared: "I accidentally learned about Ban Hoc mineral spring through a friend's recommendation. The mineral water here is really good, my skin is much smoother after bathing. The price is also reasonable, only 30,000 VND/person for a bathtub bath, 50,000 VND/person for a communal pool and 100,000 VND for a herbal bath. However, I think this place needs to invest more in food and accommodation services so that tourists can stay longer."

According to statistics from the People's Committee of Son Thinh town, there are currently more than a dozen households in Ban Hoc operating mineral bath and community tourism services. In 2024, the Ban Hoc mineral spring area will welcome about 32,000 visitors, with revenue of tens of billions of VND.

Mr. Dao Duy Lam - Vice Chairman of the Town People's Committee said: "Mineral spring tourism in Ban Hoc has made significant progress. This place is not only a destination for domestic tourists but also attracts international visitors thanks to its natural beauty and quality tourism services. Here, there are 10 households doing homestays and doing tourism business. In addition to accommodation services, households also combine business in hot mineral baths, herbal baths, cuisine, cultural and artistic activities, experiences, etc. During the year, the peak tourist season is usually during the festival season in September, October and holidays. The development of community tourism spots is creating very good jobs for people, contributing to increasing income and reducing poverty for local people".

According to Mr. Lam, despite the great potential, the development of Ban Hoc mineral spring tourism still faces many challenges. Limited infrastructure, lack of diversity in accompanying services, and inadequate promotion are major barriers.

Continuing to exploit the "gold mine" of Ban Hoc mineral spring, Van Chan district and Son Thinh town have specific development orientations. Van Chan is focusing on building a tourism development project for the district with a vision to 2030, in which community tourism is of great interest, especially the Ban Hoc Community Tourism Cultural Village. In addition, the district is promoting and calling for strategic investors to develop an eco-tourism area combined with mineral spring resorts in Ban Hoc; preserving and promoting indigenous cultural values ​​while simultaneously implementing the construction and upgrading of the road from National Highway 32 to the mineral spring area, creating an important premise to attract investment and tourists to Ban Hoc.

Hung Cuong

Source: https://baoyenbai.com.vn/226/347866/Tiem-nang-mo-vang-Ban-Hoc.aspx