Buon Kuop was recognized as a community-based tourism village in March 2024. The model is built on a community-centric approach, with the participation of the Community Tourism Management Board, artisans, village elders, influential figures, and households.
To lay the foundation for community tourism, the province invested 1 billion VND in Kuop village to implement essential items such as lighting, parking lots, public toilets, waste collection, landscape improvement, information boards, and other facilities serving tourists. In 2025, the project "Upgrading, investing in infrastructure and supporting the development of products to serve the community tourism destination of Kuop village" will be launched with a total capital of 13 billion VND, expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
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| Women in Buon Kuop preserve the traditional weaving craft, creating products that reflect their unique cultural identity and serve the tourism industry. |
Along with state investment, the stakeholders participating in the community-based tourism model here are always deeply committed to preserving cultural identity while developing tourism. As a respected figure in the village and one of the pioneers in building the community-based tourism model, Ms. H. Phong Niê shared: “To develop community-based tourism, we must first preserve the traditional cultural features of the village. When tourists come, we have more opportunities to introduce our culture and simultaneously generate additional income for our families.”
Building upon its preserved cultural values, the Kuôp village is gradually developing unique tourism products. Visitors can explore the longhouses, learn about gong culture, enjoy traditional cuisine , experience brocade weaving, make rice wine, participate in cultural exchanges, and stay overnight in the longhouses.
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| Tourists experience the traditional life and culture at the longhouse of the people in Kuôp village. Photo: Provided by Dak Lak Tourism Association. |
However, the reality shows that the number of tourists visiting Kuop village is not stable, mostly consisting of survey and research groups; the length of stay is short, and spending is not high. The scale of activities is still small, the number of households directly involved is not large, and the experiential products are not diverse. Ms. H. Lat Nie, one of the households participating in the community tourism model in Kuop village, said: “Kuop village has many unique cultural features but is not widely known. If it were better promoted and connected with travel agencies to bring tourists to the village, the people would have more opportunities to develop tourism.”
Given this reality, the challenge is not only to preserve the longhouse, the gong music, or traditional crafts, but also to find ways to organize these values into attractive products that encourage tourists to visit, stay longer, and spend more on experiences provided by the community.
According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Chon, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ea Na commune, the locality is continuing to strengthen the Community Tourism Management Board, encouraging households to participate in developing accommodation, cuisine, and cultural experiences; while also focusing on passing on traditional cultural values to the younger generation. Along with improving local products, Ea Na also aims to expand the interconnected space. Buon Kuop can connect with the Dray Nur - Dray Sap Thuong waterfall cluster, the Serepok River, and other eco-tourism and agricultural experience destinations to form a diverse product chain, extending the length of stay for tourists.
Alongside tourism development, cultural transmission is also emphasized. The locality has organized two gong-playing training courses for 34 students; maintained the Kla village brocade weaving group, and encouraged artisans to pass on their skills to the younger generation... These values are the "capital" for Kuôp village to awaken its tourism potential, telling its story to tourists, not only through its natural landscapes but also through the cultural life preserved by the community for many generations.
Van Anh
Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-xa-hoi/202609/danh-thuc-tiem-nang-du-lich-cong-dong-o-buon-kuop-2513669/
