Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick visited the northern province of Hoa Binh on March 12 to see how Australia’s aid program is providing new opportunities for poor and remote ethnic minority communities there.

Local people from Da Bia Village in Hoa Binh Province welcome Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick (L) and Ta Van Tuan, Country Director of Action on Poverty in Vietnam - PHOTO: COURTESY OF AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY

With funding from the Australian Non-government Organizations Cooperation Program (ANCP), the international development organization Action on Poverty is helping local people develop sustainable, socially responsible and environmentally friendly tourism services.

The project has supported communities to upgrade their traditional stilt and ground houses into homestays, which have welcomed more than 8,000 foreign visitors in the last four years.

It has also helped communities revive their traditional dances, handicrafts and agricultural products, such as tea, and supported them to integrate these into their tourism approaches.

On average, households are now earning an additional AU$400 per month as a result of their participation in the project.

Key to the project’s success has been the establishment of partnerships with local and Australian tour operators, who have designed trekking tours that allow travelers to experience the cultures of the Muong and Dao ethnic minority groups.

“Great to see how Australia’s support is building sustainable tourism models and improving economic opportunities for poor and remote communities in mountainous Hoa Binh in partnership with Action on Poverty and tour operator Peak DMC,” the Australian Ambassador tweeted.

SGT