H’mong men succeeds in starting up with community-based tourism

Trang A Chu, a 37-year-old H’mong men has succeeded in starting up a homestay facility in his hometown in Van Ho district, Son La province.

Trang A Chu (second from left) welcomes visitors to his homestay (Photo: VOV)
Trang A Chu (second from left) welcomes visitors to his homestay (Photo: VOV)

After graduating from the Hanoi Polytechnic College in 2014, Trang A Chu returned to his hometown and worked at local restaurants, which helped him earn the experience to launch his own restaurant serving dinners consisting of the traditional indigenous dishes of ethnic groups in Son La province.

While running the restaurant, A Chu realised the high demand for accommodation and ecological tourist experience among his customers. He then asked for a loan of VND400 million from Moc Chau Farm’s credit fund to open the Homestay A Chu in Hua Tat village, Van Ho commune in September 2015.

Covered by green forests, Hua Tat village attracts visitors thanks to its fresh air, unique traditional customs, and the cultural practices of the local H’mong ethnic group.

The designs and decoration of Homestay A Chu are adapted from typical decorative patterns in the culture of H’mong people. In addition to growing flowers and vegetables, A Chu has devoted 1,200 s.q.m to farm chickens and pigs to provide clean meat for his customers.

A Chu also hosts cultural exchanges and activities such as panpipe performances and folk dances at his homestay in order to bring his customers closer to the villagers.

Homestay A Chu has been appreciated for its service quality and location among visitors to Van Ho district.

Homestay A Chu has been appreciated for its service quality and location among visitors to Van Ho district. It was voted as an outstanding ecological tourist site by the Travel Magazine in 2019.

Over the past five years, the homestay has greeted nearly 10,000 visitors and earns an annual revenue of VND300 million.

Following the successful model of Homestay A Chu, four other families in Hua Tat village have opened homestay services, creating jobs for dozens of neighbours in the village.

Secretary of Hua Tat Village Party Committee, Trang A Cao said that local authorities always support the development of tourism, adding that the homestay model of A Chu have helped attract more visitors to Hua Tat village as well as increasing the incomes of locals.

Trang A Chu was recently honoured with a certificate of merit from the Son La Provincial People’s Committee at the provincial patriotic emulation congress held in October this year for his contributions to strengthening solidarity among ethnic groups in the locality in the 2014-2019 period.