People who opt for homestay accommodation are welcomed as family members and share the household work. They go to the market, go to the rice fields, go fishing, work in the garden, learn to cook and learn to sing folk tunes. These activities help tourists understand the local customs and lifestyle. Lê Ngoc Thuân was one of the first to offer this new form of tourism in the coastal village of An Bàng near Hoi An: “It is important to preserve the cultural traditions of the community. Fans of community tourism want to be immersed in the local culture and share authentic moments with the locals. On the occasion of Christmas and New Year, we decorated our houses to welcome foreign visitors and make them feel at home.” In the New Year, An Bang village has welcomed many foreign tourists, who provide an additional source of income for the locals. Villager Truong Thi Cuom said: “Previously, my son and I were massons. It was a very tough job. My son decided to open our house to tourists. Since then our life has been better. In winter, the number of guests is higher. On average, we earn 20 million dong a month. More and more villagers are opening their homes to tourists. ” From a small number of locals offering homestays 7 years ago, there are now 320 listed sites offering more than 1,200 rooms. Stable jobs have been created. Nguyen Van Son, Vice Chairman of the Hoi An Municipal People’s Committee,… [Read full story]
30 households in Phong Nha are offering the homestay service, earning 700 to 1,000 USD each month each and more than 1,500 USD in the peak season. The local administration has made it easier for local people to do the trade. Nguyen Cong Tru is Chairman of the Son Trach Communal People’s Committee: “Homestay service mostly serves foreign tourists and is an easy way for local people to change from farming to tourism. In two years, the number of homestay providers has increased. More and more locals are registering to do this trade.”The Bo Trach District People’s Committee have each household…... [read more]
The number of visitors to Tien Giang Province increased annually from 518,000 people (including 318,500 foreign tourists) in 2005 to 1.63 million people (including 600,000 foreign visitors) in 2016. Apart from investing in major central tourist sites, Tien Giang has developed homestay services throughout the province. Cai Be, Chau Thanh and Cho Gao districts and the city of My Tho have become leading providers of homestay services for domestic and foreign visitors.A homestay service provider in Cai Be District, Huynh Van Muoi, said that villagers embellish their houses and improve orchards to serve visitors. They also get visitors to join…... [read more]
VietNamNet Bridge – After graduating from college and working at a bar in Hoi An, Phan Mai Thien Tam decided to start out on her own. Tam, 24, got the idea to start a homestay service after going on trans-Viet Nam and trans-ASEAN bike trips. With her own money, she rented a full house in an alley on Hoang Dieu Street in Da Nang. Tam and her friends decorated the house in a freestyle manner and called it "An Nhien House". The two-storeyed building, which is isolated from most of the noise in city’s downtown area, offers three rooms for…... [read more]
The central province of Quang Ngai is working on a plan to develop homestay services for tourists on Ly Son Island, renowned for its historical, cultural, and beautiful natural sites and friendly people. The province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has sent people from 20 households there to the neighbouring province of Quang Nam to learn about the homestay model in Hoi An. Most of the 20 own traditional houses that are more than 200 years old. Ly Son, which spreads over 9.9sq.km and has a population of more than 20,000, has many temples, cultural complexes, and beautiful natural…... [read more]
According to a temporary regulation issued by the Hoi An People’s Committee on October 20, local households in the city will not be able to continue operating their homestays if they are not recognized as “cultured families” for two straight years.A “cultured family” is a family recognized annually by local functional authorities for obeying the country’s regulations and standards of family unity and equality as well as cultural values.According to the regulation, the Hoi An People’s Committee also has the right to suspend hosts who violate environmental sanitation rules; do not have certificates proving their attendance in classes on local…... [read more]
