More and more foreign tourists are interested in visiting traditional craft villages in Vietnam to enjoy not only the peaceful scenery but also see production facilities and meet with skillful and intelligent artisans.
In addition to advantages such as landscapes and special traditional cultural features, traditional craft villages attract tourists thanks to cultural zones or historical relics. These aspects constitute special features for village craft tourism.
The common feature among these craft villages is that they are located in favorable geographic positions, helping them easily transport their products. This is also an advantage to develop tours.
When visiting craft villages, visitors can even make products themselves. This adds to the attraction of tours to craft villages.
Photojournalist Syllvie Briset from Le Courie in France has had many chances to visit Vietnam. She said the most attractive aspect of Vietnamese tourism is the country’s traditional craft villages.
“Each time I came to Vietnam, I visited a traditional craft village to take photographs and gain a better understanding of local people,” Ms Briset said. “The most interesting is the Bat Trang ceramic village as its ceramic products are very sophisticated and unique."
Barbel Measeen, a visitor from Argentina said: “Your craft villages are very special. I can enjoy peaceful scenery and directly meet the artisans, as well as make products by myself. The last time I visited Phu Lang ceramics, I made a flowerpot myself. Although it is not beautiful, I like it as it is a sweet reminder of my visit. Whenever I see it I remember Vietnam and the impressive trip to the country.”
Presently, localities with many traditional craft villages include Hanoi, Ha Tay, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang. Famous traditional craft products in the north comprise Van Phuc silk, Dong Ky wood products, Dong Ho paintings, Bat Trang ceramics while My Xuyen sculptures, Phu Cam conical hats, and Non Nuoc stone sculptures are highlights of the region.
Ben Tre coconut sweets, Lai Vu spring rolls, and Tan Chau silk are the most famous in the south and Mekong Delta region.
“However, craft villages are facing a number of issues such as management, market information, infrastructure and environment,” Michael Johnstoll, Marketing Manager of the Millennium Tourism Company said. “The major cause is a lack of coordination among relevant organizations in developing and planning craft villages. Furthermore, the villages have not paid due attention to the environment and scenery,” he added.
Although the number of foreign tourists traveling to traditional craft villages is on the rise, tourism information about the villages is very sparse, as a result the efficiency of craft village tourism is not very high.
Michael Johnstoll added to develop traditional craft villages as well as to attract more visitors, craft villages should restore and develop traditional cultural activities, build a cultural tourism environment, improve infrastructure, protect the tourism environment, and strengthen vocational training for young people to preserve traditional skills and cultural identities.
"I hope that in the near future the villages will resolve these shortcomings,” Syllvie Briset said, adding that if craft village tourism is organized with a view to meeting the needs of cultural exchanges and allowing tourists to get involved in making products, craft villages will be an attractive and interesting destination.
In an attempt to make traditional craft village tourism more interesting, the Mekong Delta, one of the regions having the most traditional craft villages in the country is mapping out a program to develop traditional craft villages paralleling tourism development for the period of 2006-2010.
Vietnam now has more than 2,000 traditional craft villages producing famous products using bamboo and rattan, lacquer, ceramics, embroidery and weaving. These villages play an important role in preserving traditional cultural values and developing the tourism sector.
T.V
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