Exploiting indigenous cultural values to develop community tourism in Khanh Hoa

Photo caption — The poetic scenery of Tri Nguyen Island (Nha Trang ward, Khanh Hoa ).

Connecting culture with nature

After merging with Ninh Thuan (old), Khanh Hoa province entered a new stage of development, not only expanding geographically but also becoming richer in cultural identity. This merger created a diverse tourism space, where blue sea, mountains and deserts blend together, opening up a “golden advantage” for developing community tourism associated with nature and local culture.

In that picture, community tourism is emerging as a bright spot with many tours and routes strengthening connections to destinations such as: Nha Trang - Cam Ranh - Khanh Son - Khanh Vinh - Vinh Hy - Phan Rang - Ninh Phuoc... Experiential tourism products such as: A day as a fisherman, Growing grapes - making salt - going to the sea, Staying with the Raglai people... are bringing a unique attraction to this land.

In Vinh Hy Bay (Vinh Hai Commune), many households are promoting community tourism development associated with experiencing fishermen's culture. Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, owner of a homestay shared: "Thanks to promotional activities and the convenient coastal route of Nha Trang - Vinh Hy - Phan Rang, tourists stay longer and have richer experiences. From visiting Thai An grape village, trekking Nui Chua National Park and in the late afternoon, tourists return to Vinh Hy to go fishing, squid fishing with fishermen and enjoy local specialties."

In Ninh Phuoc commune, Bau Truc Cham pottery village is attracting a large number of tourists to visit and experience. As one of the oldest pottery villages in Southeast Asia, to this day, the people here still preserve the completely manual production method with unique cultural values. "Cham pottery art" has been listed by UNESCO in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Protection, contributing to affirming the unique value of this traditional craft village. With 2 cooperatives and 11 pottery production and trading establishments with about 300 households attached to the profession, Bau Truc is considered a lively "Cham pottery museum" in the South Central region.

Mr. Phu Huu Minh Thuan, Director of Bau Truc Cham Pottery Cooperative, said that with the attention and investment of the State, production households and cooperatives not only focus on preserving the quintessence of traditional crafts but also actively create and develop new ceramic product lines, associated with exploiting community tourism. Coming to Bau Truc, visitors can admire artisans performing skillful ceramic shaping techniques; at the same time, they can mold pottery, draw patterns and try the firing process themselves, bringing an interesting experience like a real potter.

Exploiting the values of natural and human resources, in recent times, Khanh Hoa province has built and developed many unique community tourism destinations such as: Agarwood xoi craft village in Van Thang, eco-agricultural tourism in Ninh Van, Thai An grape village, island homestay model in Binh Ba, Binh Hung. In addition, island villages such as: Bich Dam, Van Gia fishing village, Raglai ethnic area in the mountainous areas of Khanh Son, Khanh Vinh, Bac Ai Tay... exploit tourism associated with festivals, cuisine, homestay accommodation contributing to diversifying destinations and increasing choices for tourists.

Towards sustainable development

To promote indigenous cultural values in community tourism development, Khanh Hoa province has been implementing many support policies on infrastructure investment, skills training, foreign languages for people and encouraging travel businesses to bring tourists to local community sites. Many seminars and survey programs have been organized by the province and localities to identify, preserve and effectively exploit cultural resources.

According to Professor, Dr. Ngo Thi Phuong Lan, Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh National University), Khanh Hoa possesses a treasure trove of vibrant cultural heritage with the harmonious coexistence of many ethnic communities. Among them, the Cham people with dance art, tower architecture, Kate festival; the Raglai people with traditional musical instruments, forest worshiping ceremonies, New Year celebrations; the Kinh people with village life, communal houses, pagodas and agricultural rituals... have created cultural layers interwoven and accumulated over many centuries. This is the source of "soft resources" that, if identified and integrated into tourism development, will bring difference, cultural depth and competitiveness to destinations.

In the new period, many localities have identified exploiting natural and cultural potentials to promote socio-economic development. In Bac Ai Tay commune, the local government has clearly identified the direction of economic development associated with preserving Raglai culture. Mr. Nguyen Van Canh, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: "We are focusing on developing accommodation services, local cuisine such as bamboo rice, grilled chicken, and can wine; exploiting OCOP products such as dried bamboo shoots, lonely bananas, melons... and connecting farms and orchards to expand agricultural and ecological tourism tours. The locality promotes tourism through digital platforms and major events such as Khanh Hoa Tourism Week, Raglai Cultural Festival... to attract domestic and foreign tourists."

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa province, the merger has helped Khanh Hoa open up a space for diverse tourism development, combining sea, desert and mountains. Community tourism will be a bridge to help people in all regions develop together; at the same time, contributing to cultural preservation and creating sustainable livelihoods. In the coming time, Khanh Hoa aims to build the image of a green, friendly tourist destination, with experiences imbued with indigenous cultural identity. The development of this type of tourism not only aims to diversify tourism products but also aims at the goal of sustainable development, bringing practical benefits to people, preserving and promoting traditional cultural values.

According to Resolution No. 01-NQ/TU dated July 14, 2025 of Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee on "double-digit economic growth in the period of 2025 - 2030", service tourism is identified as one of the four main pillars of development. The province aims to welcome 20.5 million visitors by 2030, including 10.5 million international visitors. Tourism contributes 15% of GRDP and 20% of total local budget revenue. To achieve the set goals, Khanh Hoa focuses on developing sea and island tourism; conference and seminar tourism; eco-tourism; community tourism; health care resort tourism; cultural heritage tourism, spiritual tourism associated with environmental protection, preserving and promoting cultural identity. The province is focusing on completing and implementing the tourism development strategy of Khanh Hoa province for the period of 2025 - 2030, with a vision to 2045; promulgate community tourism development policy for the period 2026 - 2030.

Thanks to promoting investment attraction, enhancing promotion and implementing synchronous and effective solutions, in the first 9 months of 2025, Khanh Hoa welcomed more than 14.1 million visitors, an increase of 16.5% over the same period in 2024; including 4.3 million international visitors. Total revenue from tourism reached more than 56,540 billion VND. The province is building the image of a green, friendly destination with a rich cultural identity - where every citizen can become a tourism ambassador, every village can become a memorable destination for domestic and international tourists.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/du-lich/khai-thac-gia-tri-van-hoa-ban-dia-de-phat-trien-du-lich-cong-dong-tai-khanh-hoa-20251016115556336.htm