World’s most beautiful village: Hoi An's new tour targets high-end travelers

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper on Monday, Le Cong Sy, director of the Hoi An Dong Ward Public Service Center, said the ward was completing a stage, performance facilities and a reception area ahead of the launch of a new tour at Cam Thanh Coconut Forest, also known as Bay Mau Coconut Forest.

Tourism rooted in nature and local heritage

According to Sy, local authorities and tourism experts are placing high hopes on creating a distinctive tourism product built around the unique natural and cultural values of the former Cam Thanh area, now part of Hoi An Dong Ward.

Under the plan, a pristine coconut forest near Cua Dai Bridge will be developed as a reception area, performance venue and space for the new tour, 'Visit Cam Thanh - Listen to the Coconuts Tell Stories.'

The tour was developed and refined with input from former Hoi An Party Secretary Nguyen Su and Vo Phung, former director of the former Hoi An Center for Culture, Sports, Radio and Television.

To welcome visitors, Sy said that after purchasing tickets and arriving at Cam Thanh Coconut Forest, tourists will travel by boats and basket boats through the lush coconut canopy.

The tour will stop at three locations, with each offering visitors a different story and experience, featuring traditional performances and cultural activities such as ba trao (a traditional fishing ritual performance), whale-worship ritual, traditional fishing-net casting, basket-boat dancing, bai choi (a traditional Vietnamese folk game and performance), folk singing and ho khoan (a traditional folk singing style), as well as opportunities to experience the daily lives of local residents in the coconut forest.

To organize the tour, Hoi An Dong Ward will preserve the existing coconut forest and dredge waterways to create an entrance route for boats.

Twenty-three local households that have long made a living through activities such as repairing fishing nets, weaving coconut leaves and making traditional artwork from nipa palm leaves and stems have also been invited to join the tour.

"We are simply reorganizing the activities and showing residents how to welcome and talk with visitors, while keeping everything as authentic as it is," Sy said.

Awaiting a new tour showcasing Hoi An's local culture

Hoi An has long been a popular destination for tourists from across the country and around the world. 

Despite the heavy visitor traffic, it is worth acknowledging that the city has lacked a truly distinctive tour product in recent years.

Located not far from the ancient town, Cam Thanh Coconut Forest offers a spacious, open setting and access to a steady stream of international visitors. It is now drawing considerable attention as the site of a completely new tourism product.

According to Hoi An Dong Ward officials, after the ward was formed through the merger and took over management of the coconut forest, one of the key questions was how to create a truly distinctive tourism product.

Drawing on local knowledge, tourism expertise and an understanding of the communities around Cam Thanh, residents and tourism stakeholders came together to develop the idea for the tour 'Visit Cam Thanh - Listen to the Coconuts Tell Stories.'

After rounds of discussion and consideration, local authorities developed the tour and plan to officially unveil it to the public and the tourism industry in November.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper, the director of an international travel company in Da Nang said the tour, as designed, would be a bold and distinctive product aligned with the tourism sector's 'Back to the Original' direction.

The tour's content and itinerary are built entirely around the area's existing natural resources, landscape and community culture.

"This is a major tourism asset for Hoi An Dong," the director said. "If developed properly and positioned for the right market segment, it could become a high-end tour and a genuine highlight of Da Nang's tourism industry."