Dream from childhood

Dang confided: “Since I was small, I have been interested in tourism. Seeing the charming landscape of Cam Son Lake, which is embraced by primitive forests, I always wish to preserve beautiful islands around the lake to welcome visitors from near and far".

Chairman of the People's Committee of Son Hai commune (Luc Ngan) Giap Hong Dang.

Despite being born and grown up in a village that is considered a “remote area” of Son Hai commune, Dang has actively participated in social work. In 1989, returning to the homeland after completing his military service, he was elected as village head and then secretary of the village’s Party cell. 

From 1998, worked as a justice officer, chief of the commune’s public security force, Vice Chairman, Chairman of the communal People's Committee and Secretary of the communal Party Committee. Now he is Chairman of the communal People's Committee again. He often goes to work by boat. Also from here, he has many bold views about tourism development on Cam Son Lake.

Awakening tourism potential

Because of his passion for tourism, in 2013, while working as Secretary of the communal Party Committee, Dang spent all his family money building a steel boat carrying about 30 people, which was the largest of its kind in the commune at that time. He explained that a large boat not only helps his family transport goods easier but also takes tourists around the lake safely.

Tourists visit Cam Son Lake.

Cam Son Lake became attractive, so more and more tourists came to Son Hai to rent Dang's boat. Several years later, his family built another big boat at a cost of more than 100 million VND.

Just setting foot on the island, Dang said that all money he earned has been poured into tourism development. The construction of works on the island cost more than 1 billion VND. Recently, he also installed a solar power system on the island, worth more than 200 million VND.

This island is also where he and his family live. Perhaps due to the beautiful location and invested infrastructure, the island of Dang's family often welcomes visitors, especially on weekends.

On average, his family welcomes 15-20 groups of tourists a month, each group consisting of about 30 people. Particularly during the recent three-day fair of orange, grapefruit and typical products of Luc Ngan district, nearly 10 delegations came to his island. Tourists usually depart from the commune center at 9am, visit the main dam in Chi Lang district (Lang Son province), then have lunch and take a rest on his family's island. Early in the afternoon, they return to the starting point and end their trip.

Dang said that at present, many households in Son Hai commune and some neighboring communes adjacent to Cam Son Lake have also bought boats to serve tourists visiting the lake. Some families even provide dining services on the boat.

As the head of the local government, Dang and other communal leaders have put forth many policies and measures to develop tourism, such as requesting boat owners to equip life jackets for all tourists, encouraging people not to discharge garbage and wastewater into Cam Son Lake, and prohibiting residents from using electric tools to catch fish.

Not only developing family tourism, Dang also inspires many residents in the area to provide tourism services, toward community-based tourism in the locality. Currently, in Son Hai commune, there are nearly a dozen boats specializing in serving tourists visiting the lake... In the coming time, the commune will establish the Cam Son Lake Community Tourism Cooperative to create favorable conditions for more effective tourism management and development.

Do Thanh Nam

Surveys conducted at tourism spots in Yen The and Tan Yen

(BGO) – The Center of Information and Tourism Promotion in Bac Giang province has organized a programme to survey the local tourism spots with the participation from the tourism promotion centers and tourism management departments in several provinces and cities of Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Hai Duong, Bac Kan, Lang Son and nearly 20 travel agencies in and outside the province.

Bac Giang promotes cuisine, tourism at Vietnam Int’l Tourism Mart

(BGO)- With the theme “Digital Transformation for Tourism in Vietnam”, Vietnam International Tourism Mart 2020 (VITM) takes place in Hanoi Cultural Friendship Palace. This event is organized by Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism attracting more than 300 participants from enterprises, tourism promotion agencies of 50 provinces and cities nationwide and 6 countries and territories. 

Tourism exhibition promoting cultural heritages from across Vietnam held in Hanoi

A tourism exhibition promoting cultural heritages from across Vietnam kicked off at the Vietnamese Culture and Arts Exhibition Center, No.2 Hoa Lu Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi, on November 19, as a part of activities to mark the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23).

Bac Giang city creates products and links to develop tourism

(BGO) - Though tourism has newly put in the development orientation of Bac Giang city (Bac Giang province), the local authority has paid due attention to gradually investing and exploiting the available sources to the sector with initial results, helping the city become tourism destination and connection point in the province and adjacent area.