Country: Vietnam

Organization: Capilano College

Year the initiative began: 2002

Project Website: www.cbtvietnam.com

Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions:

• Main barrier addressed: Lack of local input
• Main insight addressed: Education through hands-on experience

What is the goal of your innovation?
Reduce poverty in the rural areas of Vietnam by providing training that supports community based tourism.

How does your approach support or embody geotourism?

In speaking with the communities of Ta Phin and Ta Van, their interest was to generate more revenue for the community. Tourists were only trekking or bussing in to the community, with little money staying behind.

Our project embodies geotourism in a number of ways, the foundation of which is empowering individuals in a community through knowledge and skill development. The basic building blocks for both the development of sustainable community based tourism and to address basic human needs to alleviate poverty are addressed: food safety, sanitation and maintenance, Health/HIV AIDS, English, guiding and First Aid, product development and homestay development, and train the trainer. Training was also provided in understanding the negative impacts that tourism can have, and discussing suitable solutions in the community to mitigate environmental and cultural impacts. In addition, the train the trainer skills were used by the community to develop and deliver annual training to youth on their traditional customs.

The Ta Phin community developed a Cultural and Tourism House, which provides explanations to visitors about the local culture, and also an opportunity to hire a tour guide. Each community also developed a code of conduct for visitors.

Describe your approach in detial. How is it innovative?

Our approach was innovative in that it built the people's capacity in skills and knowledge that are of immediate social, environmental and economic benefit to the community, both in terms of meeting basic human needs as well as establishing the foundations of community-based tourism. The project essentially put into action what various plans and reports recommended in a cost-effective, practical and sustainable manner.

Hanoi Open University (HOU) faculty members were trained as trainers, and two communities were selected to receive the training. Participation in training was open to the entire community, with several key learners selected as community trainers to sustain training beyond the duration of the project. The training was innovative in that it was experience-based: training directly resulted in the development of certified homestays, trained guides for hire, food services that presented a safe choice for tourists, as well as the selling of hand-made brocade and the development of a wellness tourism ‘product’: a herbal bath. A cultural house was constructed, along with eco-toilets. HOU continues to being established as the national leader in CBT training and now provides training to other communities in Vietnam, working with non-governmental organizations and companies.

What types of partnerships or professional developement would be most beneficial in spearding your innovation?
Spreading the innovation In Vietnam, a 3-year second phase is proposed to build stronger partnerships with industry and government and to deliver sustainable entrepreneurship training in the communities. As well, a Community Based Tourism Network has been formed amongst various agencies and tour companies. Initially a small group, the Network has grown in popularity. Some funding for a secretariat role would be beneficial. Beyond Vietnam, CBT training modules has been culturally adapted and transferred to a project involving two communities in Paraguay. Modest funding for deliver training in other communities would also spread the innovation.

In one sentence describe what kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
The project has empowered the community to minimize negative tourism impacts, reduce poverty and increase the overall quality of life.

Describe the degree of success of your approach to date. Clearly define how you measure quantitative and qualitative impact in terms of how your approach contributes to the sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?

A results-based management system was used to annually report on the progress, followed by annual planning. Benchmarking in the two rural communities was conducted annually to measure progress:

- Three new homestays in Ta Phin, and ten additional homestays in Ta Van, generating 30% of total household income from tourism activities.

- Community pride enhanced with the development of the Ta Phin Cultural and Tourism House generating $200 a month in donations, resurgence in quality brocade work, singing, customs and traditions.provided through training.

- With new trainer skillset, workshops for youth on traditions and culture of the Red Dhao are held annually.

- Training of guides in English and basic interpretive skills, each generating $3 per day from guiding when employed. Typically employed 2-3 times a week.

- First Aid response now available in the communities that was non-existent prior to the project. No AIDS reported in the villages.

- Code of conduct for tourists developed and in place in two villages. Decrease in cultural impact and ‘intrusion’ by tourists as reported by the local people.

- Twelve new eco toilets in place.

- Communities understand and are organized to deal with tourism issues as they arise.

How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
Tourists that once merely took half-day trips to the villages for a look are now invited by the community to stay the night. Tourists are welcomed as part of the community, and find themselves sharing the daily lives of their hosts: working in the kitchen or in the ricefields, feeding the animals, playing with the children or learning about sowing ethnic brocade. A great deal of reciprocal learning is experienced between both visitor and host. There are shared impromptu ‘lessons’ in culture and language, resulting in a deepening bond with the local people, and a transformative traveler experience for many.

In what ways are local residents actively involved in your innovation, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
The project has empowered the community by building their capacity and confidence to address issues of concern. A community tourism committee was initially formed to advise in the development of the training. Individuals volunteered and were trained as trainers. Training took place involving HOU faculty and students and with the involvement of the community trainers. Annually, the community put forward a request for action on various training related items, to which the project responded. The communities has requested continued CBT training and the development of new topic modules.

Describe how your innovation helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues. How do you motivate them to act responsibly in their future travel decisions?

As the project matured and tourist numbers increased the communities addressed negative impacts by creating a Code of Conduct. A sign at the entry of the village was constructed, and also communicated by locally trained guides and the homestay hosts.

Tourists and community volunteers have engaged in village cleanups, field work and training sessions. As tourist interest increased the project team saw the need for a website.

www.cbtvietnam.com has been created to teach tourists about the project and community initiatives. An interactive Code of Ethics for travelers is included on the website to motivate tourists to change. We invite you to sign as well.

Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? What is the potential demand for your innovation?
Trainers have been trained in the community and money is generated through tourism for supplies. For the university to continue training in other communities, funding for travel and supplies would be required, $5,000 for 5 training visits over a year per community, 6 days per visit, for a team of 5 to deliver all of the training modules. The university wishes to position itself as the national center for delivery of CBT training. There are over 50 ethnic groups, and hundreds of villages. Given that the practical nature of the training, there is potential worldwide demand.

How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
The Canadian International Development Agency provided $400,000 for the 5-year project. Amounts were fixed and varied from year to year: $75,000 $90,000 $100,000 $100,000 and $35,000. Faculty and students of Capilano College and North Island College (British Columbia, Canada) partnered with Hanoi Open University (HOU) (Hanoi, Vietnam) and provided another $400,000 of in-kind time and resources, a critical element in the implementation of the project. Each institution participated in managing the project, with $11,000 a year being allocated to cover one Canadian’s time for reporting and budgeting. An annual 3-week visit of a team of 5-9 Canadians occurred in the first three years. The HOU faculty and students delivered training in the communities 4-6 times a year for a week at a time. Revenue generated was at the community level: 30% of total household revenue was owing to tourism.

What is your plan to expand your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.

Enhancement of our approach in Vietnam is proposed in two ways: we will continue to seek funding for Hanoi Open University to provide training In other rural communities and have already had some success. Additionally, a second training project is proposed to develop micro entrepreneurship opportunities and to build formal partnerships with industry and the government. Once the model is tested, the training can be transferred elsewhere.

Another CIDA-funded CBT training project has started with Capilano College In partnership with Paraguay, demonstrating the transferability of the training modules to other cultures. We are open to working with other countries.

What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
Tourism is growing in Vietnam, and with the opportunity comes increased risks for communities and provinces that have not planned and implemented policies that support sustainable tourism. World-wide, sustainable tourism planning is notorious for being fragmented, with government, industry and community not working effectively together. The government itself has recognized the need to learn effective ways to implement policy and adapt it to ensure its effectiveness. Better coordination through interrelationships would support increased economic benefits at the community level for the long term, while at the same time acknowledging issues of limits of acceptable change to the environment, and mitigating negative impacts on the local culture. At the community level, skills learned in the base project, (e.g. food safety, guiding, etc) need to be placed in a larger context of planned entrepreneurial activities. Skills related to understanding fundamental skills relating to marketing and sales, financial management, logistics and sustainability issues are some of the skills needed to create sustainable tourism small businesses. However, this skillset alone will not sustain the community: community management and partnerships with outside stakeholders are also needed. We have therefore proposed a second project to address sustainable entrepreneurship, formal partnerships.

What is the origin of your innovation? Tell your story.

In 1989, I was in my last year studying for a degree in International Development. I had a 4-month placement in a small town called Dabakala in Cote d'Ivoire. Upon arrival, the Mayor asked me to investigate the opportunity of creating community tourism. I had never heard of it, and at the time, tourism was seen in development by many including me as an evil: tourism was all about negative impacts such as sex tourism. Without much understanding, little time and seemingly struggling to live in rural Africa, I left knowing I had learned more from the local people than I could offer back. I was humbled by the experience of their friendliness and hospitality despite their poverty. Unbeknownst to me, this experience planted a seed of an idea that would later serve to direct my life, and that would in turn benefit communities in other parts of the world.

I began to understand tourism as a force for peace and sustainability. As a career direction, tourism served to lead me through a range of experiences: I found a job with the Government of British Columbia, Canada, managing post-secondary tourism education programs; I studied tourism education in Graduate School; I learned how to teach, and; I found myself travelling and teaching. I experienced first-hand the power of education as a means to bring about change in tourism and society.

In 1998, while living in Malaysia, I witnessed a tour operator sitting on the back of a leatherback turtle that was laying eggs. To me, this lack of respect for this beautiful being represented the dark side of tourism, and something that education could address. With funding from the Government of Canada, I set forth to develop the EcoHost program, a day-long workshop aimed at teaching tourism employees practical skills that would support a sustainable approach to tourism. I started to work with Borneo Adventure based in Sarawak, which operates an ecolodge with an Iban community. It was there that I saw an indigenous community living with and involved in ecotourism. I was able to get another small grant to develop and deliver some basic training to the community: First Aid, sanitation and maintenance, train the trainer.

The success of that project led me to think about basic training that would address the basic human needs as well as lay the foundation for a sustainable form of tourism. Upon return to Canada, I conceived of a project, entitled community based tourism training which is the reason for this nomination. The project was tailored for Vietnam, a destination where I had experienced poverty in rural areas, but which held a diversity of ethnic cultures and environmental beauty that would definitely attract tourism. The seed of an idea planted from living and learning in Africa took root as the community based tourism training project in Vietnam. Thank you to all who have nurtured and supported this effort. We share this success together.

Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
Geoffrey Bird is the Manager of the community based tourism training project in Vietnam and Coordinator of the Bachelor of Tourism Management Degree at Capilano College in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He holds degrees in international development and in Training, and is presently working on his PhD part-time. In 2006, Geoffrey was the College nominee for a national teaching award, owing to his innovative approach to education involving experiential and interactive learning. Geoff has worked in geo-tourism related projects in Africa, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and in Canada in both the public and private sectors.

Please write an overview of your project. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the Google map located on teh competition homepage.
Community-based tourism training in hill tribe communities in Vietnam, aimed at reducing poverty by creating sustainable tourism.

Contact Information
Mr. Geoffrey Bird
Faculty and Project Manager
Capilano College
2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver, BC, Canada
gbird@capcollege.bc.ca