Seeking customers on online platforms

Khuoi Ky is a village of the Tay ethnic group, spanning about 10,000 m2 with many stone stilt houses that lean against rocky mountains.

In the past, local residents only did farmwork for a living. But now, their main source of income comes from community tourism activities.

Ly Thi Diep, the owner of Yen Nhi Homestay, is the pioneer in implementing the homestay model in Khuoi Ky village.

“As many tourists asking to stay at our house when visiting the village, our family has started doing community tourism since 2016. At first I didn't know how to advertise our services on social networking sites. By chance, a foreign guest showed me how to do business online. My house is the first homestay in Khuoi Ky to have a Facebook fanpage. After that, I learned how to sell rooms online on channels like Booking, Traveloka, Agoda, TikTok, Facebook and Zalo. Previously, my family only did farmwork and raised livestock. After doing community tourism, our life is more stable," Diep said.

Now, for Diep and her husband, using their smart phones to record videos and post them on YouTube, TikTok or livestream on social networking sites to reach customers has become a daily job.

When a foreign customer contacts them, they use texting and translation support tools. More than a dozen rooms at Yen Nhi Homestay are often fullly occupied.

“However, I still don't know how to use a computer. I only know how to collect service fees via QR code or bank transfer, and I also only have retail invoices not electronic invoices yet. The local authorities have encouraged usto use electronic invoices and computers but I still don't know how to type on a computer. I really want to get training on how to use computers," Diep said honestly.

Like Diep, Ms. Nguyen Kim Phuong, the owner of Tay's Homestay, is very proficient in using the phone to get orders through online booking channels or fanpages on social networks.

“Recently, the local agencies have organized many training sessions on digital transformation for young people, with a lot of knowledge that can be applied to our business model. Currently, many of our guests come from Facebook and Zalo. Up to 80% of customers pay by bank transfer," said Phuong.

My brief conversation of only about 10 minutes with Phuong was interrupted several times so she could answer the guest's phone call and arrange accommodation services in accordance with customer requests.

Digital transformation helps develop community tourism model

According to Mr. Luong Van La, Head of the Culture and Information Department of Trung Khanh district, the Tay ethnic village of Khuoi Ky is the leading village in developing community tourism in Trung Khanh district.

The village began developing community tourism in 2016 with the first homestay, and today there are 13 households doing homestay services there. Khuoi Ky is considered one of the typical models of sustainable tourism development, creating livelihoods and income for local people.

Since 2018, Khuoi Ky people have started applying digital transformation in community tourism development, forming their own fanpages on social networks.

To date, 13/13 households providing homestay services in Khuoi Ky have applied non-cash payment applications and providing information about the quality and prices of products and services on online channels.

By the end of 2023, it is estimated to have nearly 1 million visitors to Trung Khanh district, including nearly 5,000 visitors to Khuoi Ky village alone. The number of international tourists accounted for about 20%.

“People have done a good job in using smart phones to do business, but it is still difficult for them to use computers. In 2024, we will open specialized training classes for people on access to computers and technology, so that they have more knowledge to deploy digital transformation and develop community tourism in an effective and synchronous way," La said.

Binh Minh