Promoting the role of cooperatives in tourism development

With rich potential in landscape, culture and people, Son La is gradually exploiting its tourism strengths effectively through the cooperative model. The connection between households and individual businesses within the cooperative framework contributes to the formation of more professional tourism products and services, bringing practical economic benefits. At the same time, preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the locality.

Bon village hot spring, Muong Chien commune.

Bon Village, Muong Chien Commune, is a Thai ethnic village on the banks of the Da River, known for its vast natural scenery and unique traditional culture. Realizing this potential, since 2018, the Bon Village Community Tourism Cooperative was established, connecting 10 members in the village to participate in the business of homestay services, cuisine and cultural and tourism experience services. Thanks to tourism development, local people have more income and raise awareness of environmental protection, landscape preservation, restoration and maintenance of many traditional cultural values ​​such as the Xip Xi festival, the Han Lady worshiping ceremony or community cultural activities.

Bon Village, Muong Chien Commune maintains mass cultural activities to serve tourism .

Ms. Hoang Thi Dung, Director of Bon Village Community Tourism Cooperative, shared: The Cooperative is maintaining community tourism services, serving tourists bathing in Bon Village hot mineral springs and experiencing cultural and culinary activities, producing souvenirs from traditional brocade and weaving... Each year, the Cooperative welcomes over 3,000 visitors, helping people have income, a stable life and escape poverty.

Performing arts performance for tourists at Heart Island, Quynh Nhai Eco-tourism Cooperative.

In Ngoc Chien commune, the association of households in developing community tourism is growing stronger, larger and more systematic. Ngoc Chien is known as a beautiful countryside like a "fairyland" with a cool climate, hot mineral springs, diverse cuisine, unique culture, and beautiful nature. To develop tourism in a professional direction, in 2020, Ngoc Chien Community Tourism Cooperative was established, linking 40 stilt house accommodation facilities, 60 bungalows and 120 closed rooms, serving nearly 120,000 visitors each year, with revenue reaching 8-10 billion VND, creating stable jobs for hundreds of local workers.

Mr. Luong Van Xien, Director of Ngoc Chien Community Tourism Cooperative, said: We are constantly striving to improve our services, especially upgrading our facilities. Members are learning, training, and improving their skills to better serve the needs of tourists. Ngoc Chien Community Tourism Site has been recognized as a 4-star OCOP product. This achievement is a motivation for the cooperative members to continue to strive to maintain the recognized criteria and increasingly improve the quality of tourism services.

Not following the direction of developing community tourism, Pha Din Tourism Cooperative chose a different direction, exploiting the majestic landscape of the legendary pass to develop resort and experience tourism services. Pha Din Top tourist area is nearly 30 hectares wide, an eco-tourism complex with resort bungalows, attractive check-in locations, restaurants and booths displaying agricultural products, herbs and souvenirs.

Mr. Bui Ngoc Thang, Director of Pha Din Tourism Cooperative, said: The tourist area currently has 21 accommodation rooms with a capacity of 3-4 people/room; a restaurant, serving up to 150 guests/time; a booth displaying agricultural products, herbs, and souvenirs. The Cooperative has expanded its links with fruit growers, helping to consume agricultural products and have more products to sell to tourists, adding costume rental services, camping on holidays, weekends... to better meet the needs of diverse tourists, maintaining a stable number of visitors to Pha Din Top.

Tourists experience at Pha Din Top.

In localities in the province, there are currently many cooperatives operating effectively in the fields of tourism, services or combining tourism with agriculture , production and processing. Typically, such as: Hoang Long Brocade Craft Village Cooperative, Moc Son Ward; Chieng Khoa Agricultural Tourism - Service Cooperative, To Mua Commune; Chieng San Ecotourism Cooperative, Muong La Commune; Tat Nang Agricultural Tourism Cooperative, Van Ho Commune; Nam Nghep Cooperative, Ngoc Chien Commune; Quynh Long River Land Cooperative, Quynh Nhai Ecotourism Cooperative, Quynh Nhai Commune...

Tourists visit Quynh Nhai lake.

In practice, the tourism cooperative model is an economic development direction that connects the community, creating collective strength in exploiting and promoting the potential of local tourism. This model helps improve service quality, increase income, and at the same time affirm the role of the people in sustainable tourism development.

In the coming time, in order for tourism cooperatives to continue to promote their effectiveness, all levels, sectors and localities need to have policies to support capital, train human resources, promote products and replicate effective operating models, contributing to making Son La tourism an important economic sector, linking economic development with cultural preservation and new rural construction.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/van-hoa-xa-hoi/phat-huy-vai-tro-cua-hop-tac-xa-trong-phat-trien-du-lich-qaylFI6Ng.html