Nam Dan Developing Community-Based Tourism together with Rural Development

Tuesday, May 19, 2020  14:17

Nam Dan district of Nghe An province was recognized to reach new rural standards at the end of 2017. The district has registered to carry out a model new countryside and been selected by the central government to be one of three districts nationwide to pilot a new rural model.

Aiming for higher new rural standards

A report released by Nam Dan District People's Committee said that, after more than one year of carrying out the pilot project on “Building Nam Dan into a model countryside based on cultural development and tourism in 2018-2025” according to Decision 17/QD-TTg, Nam Dan district has focused on improving the quality of new countryside criteria.

The district has upgraded new countryside criteria synchronously. The district has strived to reach 8-10 advanced commune-level criteria. Resources have been further invested and public awareness has been raised dramatically. The sense of responsibility of Party committees and governments at all levels has been improved. Ministries and branches have supported the district to carry out the project.

In 2019, Nam Dan raised over VND374 billion to carry out the program, including more than VND179 billion from the state budget (accounting for 47.86%), VND44.1 billion from the masses (11.78%) and VND151 billion from other sources. In addition, people voluntarily donated 30,431 square meters of land, dismantled 10,111 square meters of fence walls and contributed 21,240 working days to the project.

At the working meeting on project progress with a delegation led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam on May 7, Nam Dan district proposed to the delegation some contents: To successfully carry out the project, ministries and central agencies support and provide financial sources for key projects, especially national highways and provincial roads running across the district, and some spiritual tourist sites. In 2021 - 2025, Nam Dan will rebuild and upgrade 160 hamlet culture houses and propose the Government, ministries and branches support funding for construction of cultural institutions.

Developing community-based tourism

Tourism development has created a driving force for the new rural development at a fast and sustainable pace. The direct participation of farmers in tourism activity has created a rich and attractive product for local specialties, thus helping increase incomes for local people. Building rural destinations, developing community-based tourism products and engaging the community in tourism activity is considered a highlight for sustainable socioeconomic development and an important contributor to the National Target Program on New rural development.

In order to build a sustainable new countryside, Nam Dan district has attached great importance to rural tourism development, mainly agricultural and cultural tourism. From this approach, some agricultural and rural products for tourism have been formed and developed in recent years.

Mr. Nguyen Lam Son, Deputy Secretary of Nam Dan District Party Committee, emphasized, “In the current period, we are determined to successfully carry out the task of building Nam Dan into an exemplary district that bases on cultural development and tourism. That is both the responsibility and the burning desire of the Party, the government and the people. To achieve that goal, the Party and the government of the district are carrying out resolutions, directives and plans, devised for specific periods; promoting internal strengths and synergized forces to successfully realize the goal of building Nam Dan into a new model district based on cultural development and tourism”.

Speaking to the visiting delegation, Mr. Bui Dinh Long, Vice Chairman of the Nghe An Provincial People’s Committee, expected ministries and central agencies will further assist Nghe An province in general and Nam Dan district in particular, especially to carry out contents proposed by the district.

According to Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam, Nghe An province needs to proactively coordinate with relevant bodies and propose investment projects to the Central Coordinating Office for New rural development to have specific solutions to create its own fund for the cause. The district needs to pay attention to environmental landscape and community-based tourism development to attract tourists.

  THE PROGRAM COOPERATED WITH CENTRAL COORDINATION FOR NEW-STYLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT