For many farmers in Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam, buffaloes are also the highlights of eco-tours hosted by the Jack Tran Tours company. So in the Year of the Buffalo, they have more tales about the animals to tell than ever. Tran Van Khoa (third from the left, in green T-shirt) shows his visitors how to ride a buffalo. Photo courtesy of Jack Tran Tours Tran Van Khoa, sales manager and owner of the company, told Viet Nam News that the idea for the tour came to him on a field trip he took a group of foreigners to visit Tra Que vegetable village on the outskirts of ancient Hoi An Town 10 years ago. “The foreign tourists seemed to be interested in buffaloes eating grass,” he said. “They asked the owners to take photos with the cattle. They often tipped the farmers one or two US dollars for each photographing session. I thought the buffalo might be a special tourism product that will bring more income to farmers.” Over the time, the company has gathered nearly 20 farmer families who own some 100 buffaloes for wet rice tours, which offer tourists the chance to work in the field with buffaloes. Before the pandemic, each year the company received 2,000-3,000 guests, bringing each family VND10-15 million ($434-651) a year. Such a tour lasts for five hours when tourists try various farming tasks. Two junior tourists enjoy riding a buffalo in Tra Que Village. Photo courtesy of Jack Tran Tours “At first local farmers were not willing to join the service,” Khoa recalled. “They thought foreigners would never like dirty work in the field. I spent lots of time to persuade them.” Now the tour attracts mostly group tours and families at a ticket cost of VND1.3 million each including lunch at homestays. Local farmer Le Nhien, in his mid-50s, who has raised buffaloes since his childhood, is among the farmers who have worked the longest with the company. “We often choose strong male buffaloes for the job,” he said. “They are …
Autumn book
Travelling to nearby, safe destinations: the main tourism trend in Vietnam in 2021
This comment was made by Outbox Consulting - a company specialising in providing in-depth research and consulting solutions for the tourism and hospitality sectors in Vietnam in a report on Vietnam’s Travel Trends in 2021, announced on February 24. Changing travel habits Before COVID-19, exploring a crowded city, strolling through bustling markets, enjoying dinner at a bistro brimming with locals, or touring major attractions were Vietnamese tourists’ favourite activities. However, as the epidemic has still been fully resolved, tourists are now giving their top priority to their safety in the new situation. Therefore, socially distant travel is expected to be the trend once again in 2021. Travelers will select sparsely populated areas nearby so that they can set plans and tours that align with their travel demands and ensure protection from the pandemic. Vietnamese tourists often spend 2-3 days, especially weekends or short holidays, travelling to domestic destinations. This year once again, they will choose destinations that are easy to move and near their cities they live. Coastal and island destinations are still the Vietnamese tourists’ favourite, with Vung Tau and Nha Trang emerging as popular destinations for domestic tourists. In addition, other famous tourist sites such as Ha Long, Sapa, Phu Quoc and Da Lat will attract a large number of visitors. If socially distant travel is how independent travelers will adapt to the new situation, small group travel is the choice for people who want to travel as a group and adapt to the current situation. Different from regular trips in 2019 that could accommodate 20 – 30 visitors, sizes have shrunk down to control the spread of infectious diseases. According to Outbox Consulting, the COVID-19 pandemic will make wellness travel an emerging trend this year. Wellness travel is not a new trend in the tourism industry; however, during the pandemic, fatigue and stress have become familiar to almost everyone. …
World’s most endangered turtle finds new hope in Vietnam
>>> Hopes raised for conservation of world’s rarest turtle in Vietnam >>> New individual of world’s rarest turtle found in Hanoi The Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the Asian Turtle Program (ATP) of Indo-Myanmar Conservation (IMC) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have made dramatic progress to possibly prevent the extinction of the Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle. At a Hanoi workshop last week, scientists revealed that genetic testing has confirmed a female turtle captured last October in Dong Mo Lake in suburban Hanoi is definitively a Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle. This confirmation means that in addition to the one known male Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle at Suzhou Zoo in China, there is now the female captured in Dong Mo Lake. Authorities believe there is at least one more of these turtles in Dong Mo Lake and yet another in nearby Xuan Khanh Lake. Conservationists hope to at least to capture and determine the sex of the turtle in both Dong Mo and Xuan Khanh Lakes this coming spring. The mission team photographed with the giant turtle captured in October 2020. (Photo credit: ATP/IMC) Ultimately, conservationists aim to ensure at least one male and female are given a chance to breed to ensure this species can return from the brink of extinction. Nguyen Huy Dang, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said: “This is a very important mission and it needs to be done effectively. We have been seeking advice and consultation from the Hanoi People’s Committee to promulgate guiding documents and to collaborate with international organisations to execute our development and conservation plan of rafetus swinhoei. Hanoi Department of Fisheries has been assigned to continue implementing the Plan #200 from the Hanoi People’s Committee to revive and preserve the Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle, a rare, precious and endangered species listed in Vietnam’s Red …
[Read more...] about World’s most endangered turtle finds new hope in Vietnam
