The Luxembourg government is funding a project to increase tourism activities and assist the goal of sustainable poverty reduction in Quang Nam province.

 

The project has an investment of nearly 1.4 million USD and will be implemented within three years by the International Labour Organisation.

At a seminar held recently in Hoi An city, nearly 50 representatives from travel companies, hotels and relevant agencies were introduced to the project. They discussed opportunities and challenges in developing tourism in the western region of Quang Nam province.

Recently, the first working group was set up to develop tourism products for the western districts. The team conducted a survey in Bo-Hoong village, Song Kon commune, Dong Giang district, where the unique cultural values of Cotu ethnic minority are preserved. It is also designed to become an exemplary model for other villages in the locality.

Under the project, the locals will be provided with skills to develop, manage and operate accommodation services and other tourism skills.

They will also have a chance to find jobs and preserve their traditional products with the support of working groups specialising in training human resources and producing traditional products for rural tourism.

Tran Xuan Moi, Director of Asia Tourism Management Co., said mountainous districts like the western region of Quang Nam province offer many tourism products such as eco-tourism, community tourism, handicraft products and the cultural values of ethnic minorities. Many of them are very special and interesting.

The districts of Nam Giang, Dong Giang and Tay Giang in Quang Nam province are home to people of the Cotu ethnic minority group. Developing tourism is a measure to preserve and display their unique cultural identities.

Ho Tan Cuong, Deputy Director of the Quang Nam Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the tourism potential of Quang Nam province not only lies in the eastern regions and towns but also in the diverse cultural values of ethnic people in mountainous areas that are not yet developed.

He said it is hoped that with the project’s support and orientation for socio-economic development in the western region of Quang Nam province, the local ethnic minority will be able to gain stable employment, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction in the region.