The Ha Giang loop is one of the jewels in the crown of exciting activities available to travellers visiting Southeast Asia. The Ha Giang Loop provides an unforgettable and intimate glimpse into the largely untouched Ha Giang province in upper northern Vietnam. The loop generally lasts three or four days by motorbike and weaves around the rural highlands, passing through remote villages and breathtaking scenery.

Many of those fortunate enough to have embarked on the 350 km Ha Giang Loop regard the journey as a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Fortunately, the increased influx of adventurous travellers into Ha Giang is slowly beginning to make a tangible positive impact on the lives of many local people.

The Power of Tourism

Tourism is a valuable asset and conduit which can drive economic development and reduce poverty. Through the multiplier effect, tourism, particularly backpacker tourism, can significantly positively impact the areas they visit. In Vietnam, every job in the tourism sector, generates another 1.5 jobs elsewhere.

Ha Giang province contains some of the poorest districts in the whole of Vietnam. The mountainous topography and often challenging climate of the region provide obstructive barriers to traditional agricultural development. Moreover, the population of Ha Giang consists of more than 20 different ethnic groups, with the largest being the H’mong people known for their distinctive traditional clothing and intricate craftsmanship.

The ethnic groups of Vietnam make up 15% of the total population but account for more than 70% of the extremely poor. There are numerous factors behind this stark inequality including; geographical isolation, societal intricacies such as culture and language and limited access to education. Many ethnic groups have failed to fully benefit from the sweeping positive initiatives and developments enacted across Vietnam over the past two decades.

Positive Developments in Ha Giang

In recent times, the Dong Van province within Ha Giang has made positive development strides through agricultural reforms. To combat the agrarian difficulties inflicted by the terrain and climate, local farmers were encouraged to switch to alternative crops such as rice hybrids and corn. Additionally, many local farmers have now become effective cultivators of honey, as a result of interest-free loans being allocated to prospective beekeepers.

The cultivation of buckwheat has also proved to be profitable, and the annual Dong Van Buckwheat Festival attracts many tourists which provides an additional valuable source of revenue for the locality. Moreover, employment initiatives to support handicrafts and flax weaving enterprises have secured employment prospects for many local women.

These policies have greatly aided the widespread inclusion and involvement of poorer households and erected multiple avenues for potential income and revenue. Consequently,  living conditions have greatly improved and poverty rates in the province, which were once as high as 18.5%, have fallen by more than 6%.

Charitable Efforts

The Blue Dragon Foundation helps to empower ethnic minority women in Ha Giang by preventing the exploitation and trafficking of women and providing educational resources. Blue Dragon also assists families by teaching life skills and helping to develop sustainable income sources through the provision of livestock.

Thon Tha is a responsible tourism co-operative that aims to help develop local communities to access a better life, by providing visitors with an authentic and responsible Vietnamese travel experience. Established in 2014, Thon Tha works to reduce poverty by creating long-term sustainable visions for local people. Their work includes; creating job opportunities through services such as homestays and bike rental shops; preserving cultural traditions and discouraging employment activities such as street vendors; and providing authentic travel experiences to showcase true Vietnam.

Problems of Tourism Development

Ha Giang welcomes more than 2 million visitors annually, in turn earning an estimated $200 million from the tourism industry. The province was also named Asia’s leading emerging tourist hotspot in 2023. However, Ha Giang suffers from a distinct lack of proper tourist infrastructure and is currently incapable of fully capitalizing on the proliferation of visitors to the area. However, the government established initiatives such as tax exemptions for homestays, as well as charging small fees for visitors to access particular areas to help bolster the burgeoning of tourism.

Conclusion

The Ha Giang Loop is already having a direct positive impact on the local people, by providing locals with important sources of additional income. As a direct result of the loop, enterprising locals are capitalizing on the newly buoyant tourism industry by establishing homestays and roadside shops.

It is encouraging to see the direct positive impacts arising from the popularity of the loop. However, careful management and nurtured responsibility remain vitally important for the upsurge of tourism in Ha Giang. Thus, ensuring sustainability in the accretion of tourism generated revenue into the region going forward; and in turn the ensuing continued reduction of poverty.

– Ollie Roberts

Ollie is based in North Wales and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr