Presentation from Each Group

"The Vision of Handicraft and Tourism Development
in Vietnam in 5 years"

Sunway Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam

Outputs from the Group Discussion

Further to the presentation from the feasibility study team in the morning, small group discussions were held for 90 minutes with 3 groups consisting of participants divided at random. The discussion topic was "The Vision of Handicraft and Tourism Development in Vietnam in 5 Years" and the participants discussed and exchanged the opinions based on their own expertise and background as artisans, local authorities, government officers, tour operators and university faculties.

The followings are the presentaion summary of Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3.

Group 1: Ms. Hoang Thi Lan Huong, Vice Dean of Tourism and Hospitality Faculty, NEU

Raising awareness:

• Experts uncovered the water pollution in the village, unused bamboo and rattan wastes which at the same time are suggested to recycle and low awareness of the village people on the issue, which are all important.
• It is the local authority to make a big change and we need the support from government and foreign institutions.
• Artisans and the local people should know that tourism will bring the benefits to the village.
• It is important to raise awareness among the village people. The important factor for workshop/training is to identify the target group for each topic.
• Phu Vinh province VNAT should have education programmes, including awareness raising and preservation on traditional cultural with a help of NEU.
• Workshop today made us realized more possibility in the domestic market. We have emphasized more on international market and tourists so far but Vietnamese people should know the uncontrolled factors including SARS and national disasters will easily influence on the tourism industry. It is very unstable to rely only on the International customers. It is needed to start focusing on the domestic market as well.

• Knowledge of marketing and design strategy, such as identifying the target market should be provided to households and artisans.
• The training programmes on technique will be requested.
• Need to establish the brand name and logos for the village products since Phu Vinh and Van Lam are still unknown in the craft market.

• The village should invite the representatives from tour companies after foreign experts would provide the basic steps of infrastructure development. For the development of infrastructure, we mention car parking, show room, sanitation of village, in order to fulfill the requirement for the international level. Infrastructure development is important.
• Artisans could show their skills to tour operators, which will ensure the quality of products and give some credits to the domestic market.

• Suggest to cooperate with other villages and make a unique tour programmes.
• Make a linkage with suppliers.
• Make some relationship with hotels in Hanoi, such as Sunway hotel to promote to use the village products. The villages need different channels to promote the local products.

• Some programmes on tourism and handicraft development should be proposed from the village.
• Promote the villages with specific charm and attraction.
• Advertisement on the village is important.

Group 2: Mr Dinh Truong Sinh, A Leader of Ninh Hai People Committee

The group focused more on the issues related to embroidery village.

• People don't appreciate the value of national culture
• Some households have switched to the handicraft industry as they get more money.
• High skilled workers were being reduced.
• When the handicraft becomes heavily commercialized, the product quality tends to go down
• Handicraft produces more job opportunities than other work.

• Close linkage to the locals are efficient. Van Lam village is also given credit supports and they were informed of projects possibility by local authority,
• Linkage with NEU will be needed.
• Annual programme for the local government to cooperate with the external organizations will be desirable.

• Technical training or workshop should be held for craftsmen.
• Education on handicraft village development will be requested.
• More trainings and workshops which will directly link to the market economy is needed.

• Many related industry say, they want to help, but they are just words.
• Capital investment is not realized. Our perspective needs future development.
• Local authority needs to cooperate with related industries.
• It is difficult for the villagers to do everything by themselves. They need authority to help. Related institutions for the quality control.
• Financial support for the village gate is important to create the village image.
• We need help especially on organizational and project management to give us the experience and knowledge.
• Without the investment, old artisans might be forgotten.
• The help from local authority and tour operators are highly requested.

• It is suggested to have a competition among the artisans to improve the quality.
• Without brand name, it is hard to ensure the quality. It is not easy to have quality control.

Group 3: Mr Trang Ba Kham, A Leader of Phu Vinh People Committee

• Phu Vinh is a significant destination for the tourists.
• Developing the craftsmanship will generate the job.
• Craftsmanship and traditional technique should be preserved. Those skills should be transferred from generation to generation.
• Tax policy applied to the embroidery industry, but we export the products and we have to pay tax.

• The products look similar from household to household.
• As far as the products of tourist consumption, we usually make the products for souvenirs. Whenever we sign the contract, we start making other products which are ordered by suppliers.
• Most of the products made in the village are not for free market, but for mass production for the export company only.
• First we should start solving the problem of products shortage for the tourists.
• When a group of people come, a lot of products can be sold to them directly.
• The village has to make a stock of handicraft products, improve the infrastructure and water management in order to attract the tourists.
• Though tourists come to the village, we don't have anything to sell to the tourists. We start making something for souvenir.

• Raising awareness to the local people need to relate the handicraft and development. The workshop should stress on the cultural identity, cultural value, restoring the craftsmanship.
• This is the change of the concept. Local authorities and local people need to change the concept.
• When developing the environment, it also needs to be aware of its protection.
• Human resource development on designs or business management is requested.

• Now 85 villagers are dealing with handicraft industry. A lot of training sessions to improve their skills and to develop designs to have a larger variety are desirable.
• Since the sample sometimes can't be accepted by the customers or it is easily duplicated to the other people, we would like to have a training sessions for the young people to develop more designs.

• Improving the environmental condition or protections will all require the large investment.
• Infrastructure development will require a lot of investment. It will be 55 billion VND for it.
• We will make a proposal to submit the authority but we need more investment to make them happen.
• State representatives or deputy directors of the ministry need to visit the village to see the actual condition.
• After visiting the village, the officers might make a quick action to improve our ecological system.
• In cooperate with the tourism, we hope to receive realistic external help for our village.

• Tourists need accommodations and restaurants. When the condition is improved, the living standard for the village people will also go up.