Change is Inevitable

What is the extent of the impacts we are having through working in the villages delivering tourism training? Are the impacts all positive? 

When discussing development within such culturally rich communities, it is important to consider the change that inevitably occurs through our actions. In fact, it is our belief that responsible tourism can be a tool for change that motivates our work within Sa Pa district.

Community-based tourism development, when done appropriately, is unique in that it empowers people who have very little, if any, formal education to improve their quality of life by creating employment opportunities with minimal capital investment. Our approach is to work with communities through the engagement of a broad range of stakeholders and the nurturing of important relationships amongst these individuals.

This project builds on the community's capacity to implement and manage change themselves. And this is an important concept - these communities are not static environments that will remain unchanged. CBT training hopefully gives these community members some additional tools to help them effectively cope with a changing world. And perhaps the recent dialogue, now underway after the September trip, between the villagers and Ha Noi's private tourism sector best exemplifies this.

What are your thoughts on the slippery slope of tourism development work?