There are still many problems

Can Tho currently has 2 community-based tourism destinations: Son Islet (Binh Thuy District) and Tan Loc Islet (Thot Not District). Particularly in Phong Dien district, community-based tourism has recently been established with only a few households. The community-based tourism in Son islet and Tan Loc islet are dissimilar, thus having different development orientations.

The tourism activities in Tan Loc isle begin early and grow stably. In the period 2013-2018, the number of tourists to Tan Loc increased steadily, reaching nearly 15.6% per year. Currently, the percentage of visitors to Tan Loc islet accounts for nearly 60% of the number of visitors to Thot Not District. Although Tan Loc has many potentials to attract tourists, the tourism here is still undeveloped. Its tourism activities are newly formed, still spontaneous, and lacking in management. In particular, tourism products in Tan Loc are few, monotonous, mainly eco-tourism gardens and cultural tourism with festivals.

Tan Loc has formed several tourist attractions scattered on the island such as Tan Loc coconut garden, Mrs. Diep’s guava garden, Mr. Sau Tia’s water apple garden, Tan Loc eco-tourism garden, Tran Ba The’s ancient house, etc. However, there is still a lack of investment in infrastructure as well as additional services in these destinations. The available services are still very monotonous, only stop at fishing, rowing, singing karaoke, or listening to traditional Southern music. The highlight of Tan Loc tourism is that the Tan Loc Fruit Garden Festival is being expanded and diversified. Furthermore, the local authorities have signed cooperation agreements with travel agencies from Ho Chi Minh City to bring tourists to Tan Loc, specifically TST Tourist. It can be seen that there is a close connection between the local authorities and the people in terms of tourism management. Moreover, households on the islet support each other in terms of information. However, the connection to form a common product or service chain is not yet available. As a result, the model of community-based tourism of Tan Loc isle is still unclear and indistinct. Therefore, it is difficult for travel agencies to advertise and attract tourists to the islet of Tan Loc.

Meanwhile, Son islet tourism has developed since 2015, starting from households working together to support each other in tourism. They started a club that connects and clearly defines the products and services of each home from the start. Therefore, their products and services are diversified, rarely duplicated, and connected to form a chain of suitable products and services for tourists to choose from. In addition to available activities, Son islet has formed a unique product from fish like flying snakehead, spoon-feeding anchovies, snakehead sucking from a bottle, fish massage, etc.  With many experiences and close connections in tourism, Son Islet has an organizational process suitable for the connection and selection of travel agencies to meet the needs of the market. Therefore, the community-based tourism of Son Islet cooperates with many tourism agencies and businesses from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Can Tho, etc. However, this tourism model of Son Islet also faces many problems. Particularly, the top concern is the risk of disconnection due to interest disputes between the local people as Son Islet tourism is now divided. Some households work separately while others still keep the old way. The management of the local authorities in the tourism activities of Son Islet is still limited because many questions and problems cannot be solved due to economic benefits, as well as because of the novelty of the model.

Wrapping traditional Southern cakes at Cong Minh garden, Son islet

Building a flexible tourism model

In the Adjustment of the Master Plan for tourism development of Can Tho city to 2020, vision to 2030, Tan Loc is identified as a river, eco-tourism, community-based destination in the western tourist space of the city. Moreover, based on the Socio-Economic Master Plan of Thot Not District to 2020, vision to 2030, approved in Decision No. 279 /QD-UBND dated February 3rd, 2016 of the People's Committee of Thot Not District, the Tourism Development Project of Tan Loc Ward has been created, step by step helping the locality to effectively exploit its potentials and strengths to attract investors; accordingly, the tourism development of Tan Loc is based on exploiting the advantages of the agricultural ecological landscape and river culture of local people to form a unique tourism product. As a result, Tan Loc islet will become a destination to experience the river culture and community culture of Can Tho.

The community-based tourism in Tan Loc islet has specific directions to promote its potentials and exploit its strengths to solidify its cultural identity. Community-based tourism in Phong Dien is piloting and still uncertain. As for Binh Thuy, it is still a problem that needs to be solved to harmonize the interests of people while ensuring sustainable development.

Tourists visit a fruit garden in Phong Dien

Recognizing and analyzing the limitations of the existing community-based tourism model, Can Tho Tourism is proposing solutions to have stable and sustainable development orientations for this model. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho city has cooperated with the Districts People's Committees of Thot Not, Phong Dien, Binh Thuy on building a tourism brand and community-based tourism model in Tan Loc ward (Thot Not); a pilot model for building community-based tourism in Nhon Nghia commune (Phong Dien); investigate to have more suitable solutions and orientations in the coming time to develop community tourism in Binh Thuy.

Since then, Can Tho tourism has also determined that the development of community-based tourism in the city will not follow the general model, but depending on the locality to build a suitable model. Specifically, it must be clear that the subject of community-based tourism is the local people. Additionally, the indigenous cultural identity is the core value. Based on reviewing the tourism development plans of localities, the city will develop projects and appropriate policies for community tourism activities.