(TITC) – When Tan Hoa Village - a "flood ridden" countryside of Minh Hoa district, Quang Binh province was honored as the Best Tourism Village 2023 by UNWTO, there were many questions and even debates. Why does Tan Hoa "touch" this prestigious award? And what is it about this small village between four rocky mountains that has such strong appeal to tourists?
Why did Tan Hoa win the award?
According to UNWTO's assessment, Tan Hoa received this prestigious award first of all because of its adaptability to the seasons. This locality has always been known as the "flood ridden" area, but from 2017 up to now, tourism activities in Tan Hoa have aimed to adapt to the weather.
From adjusting appropriate and safe timelines for tours to explore the Tu Lan cave system to creating a weather-adapted homestay model from people's floating houses. This change has created an unique mark for Tan Hoa tourism.
According to the criteria set by UNWTO, Tan Hoa considers preserving local culture as one of its top priorities. The traditional culture and customs that have been associated with Tan Hoa people for a long time are still preserved until today. Tan Hoa people participate in many different tourism service activities and are an important link contributing to creating tourist services.
Since winning the award, Tan Hoa has regularly welcomed groups to visit and learn experience, see this as a model that needs to be replicated.
Peaceful tourism village
After the heat of the award, more and more foreign tourists visit Tan Hoa. They explore the cave system, enjoy simple experiences such as cycling, enjoying local cuisine or simply watching the daily working life of indigenous people.
Mike Hilton, a tourist from the US, shared: "After a day exploring the cave, I spent another day cycling around the village. There, the fields and villages really attract me because of their peace. For me, spending a day to experience life in this village is an extremely valuable and memorable experience."
Peaceful life still flows as before. People still live a simple life inside typical floating houses. For them, whether they are residents of the best tourism village or not, they still do tourism with all their inherent sincerity, kindness, and sincerity.
Doing tourism but does not affect people's lives, does not deform or overload the village, and does not affect the environment. That is an indicator of sustainable tourism according to UNWTO standards.
Tourism Information Technology Center. Photo: Oxalis