Building and maximizing the efficacy of community-based cultural tourism villages contributes not only to preserving and spreading fine traditional values, but also to effectively harnessing cultural resources for tourism development, elevating the material and spiritual well-being of local residents, and forging endogenous momentum for sustainable local growth.

In recent years, Điện Biên has focused on developing cultural villages tied to community tourism, step-by-step generating distinctive products steeped in the specific identity of local tourism. Numerous hamlets of the Thái, Hmông, and Hà Nhì ethnic groups, including Phiêng Lơi, Huổi Nhả, Quan Chiên, Nà Sự, and A Pa Chải, have received investments to renovate landscapes, expand homestay services, establish art performance troupes, and diversify experiential activities. Visiting these community tourism villages, travelers can rest within traditional houses while immersing themselves in village life, joining locals in preparing culinary dishes, weaving brocade, crafting bamboo basketry, and participating in agricultural labor. These intimate and authentic encounters generate unique appeal, reinforcing the distinct imprint of Điện Biên tourism in the hearts of visitors.

Tourism activities at the Việt Nam - Laos - China tripoint border marker and the A Pa Chải Flagpole were officially inaugurated by Sín Thầu commune on the occasion of the National Day on September 2. Opening an additional gateway to welcome travelers to the westernmost land, the event marked a fresh turning point, sparking high hopes for a vibrant tourism development journey along the fatherland’s frontiers. In A Pa Chải village, safeguarding and promoting traditional cultural values serve as the foundation for advancing the cultural village alongside community-based tourism. Distinctive cultural hallmarks of the Hà Nhì people are conserved, transmitted, and progressively tapped into tourism offerings, enhancing destination appeal while unlocking fresh livelihood avenues for residents.

Lỳ Xá Lòng, Secretary of the A Pa Chải Village Party Cell, affirmed that preserving cultural identity is the only way to forge a unique character for a tourism village. The branch mobilizes residents to safeguard ancestral customs, traditional apparel, spoken language, folk songs, and ethnic dances of the Hà Nhì people, while introducing these assets to tourists. Through tourism activities, villagers secure additional income and develop an even deeper awareness of conserving traditional heritage.

Chu Khai Phù, a homestay proprietor in A Pa Chải village, shared that arriving guests often stay overnight, savor local gastronomy, wear Hà Nhì garments, participate in artistic exchanges, and join community activities. Consequently, hosts consistently focus on preserving traditional architecture, clothing, customs, and heritage aesthetics, creating attractive highlights that draw visitors to Sín Thầu for sightseeing and cultural immersion.

During his journey exploring Điện Biên, Trần Tiến Tuấn from Hà Nội chose Nà Sự village, Mường Chà commune, as a stopover. Here, he immersed himself in scenic nature, explored the village life of the White Thái people, enjoyed traditional dishes, took part in the solidarity xòe dance, and studied local customs and lifestyles. These intimate experiences rich in identity left him with memorable impressions of the land and people of Điện Biên.

Trần Tiến Tuấn expressed that what impressed him most was how villagers diligently preserve their culture and proudly introduce those fine traditions to guests. From stilt house architecture and traditional garments to folk melodies, dances, and rituals, each element encapsulates unique stories and values. Crucially, the genuine warmth and hospitality of local residents made him feel at home in a familiar village rather than a visiting stranger.

Alongside notable gains, community tourism in Điện Biên still faces multiple difficulties and limitations. Tourism offerings lack diversity, culinary and cultural services display repetitive patterns, tourism infrastructure in certain localities remains unsynchronized, and environmental sanitation exhibits deficiencies. Notably, some traditional cultural values face the risk of fading, requiring suitable solutions to both preserve authentic identity and harness the potential of community-based tourism effectively.

To unleash the potential and comparative advantages of community-based tourism, the provincial Party Executive Committee issued Resolution No.12-NQ/TU on Điện Biên provincial tourism development for the 2026 - 2030 period, with an orientation toward 2035. Under this framework, the goal is for Điện Biên province to establish seven recognized community-based tourism villages by 2030: Nà Sự in Mường Chà commune; A Pa Chải in Sín Thầu commune; Quan Chiên in Mường Lay ward; Lồng village in Quài Tở commune; Phiêng Lơi in Điện Biên Phủ ward; Che Căn in Mường Phăng commune; and Huổi Nhả in Mường Pồn commune.

To realize these targets, Điện Biên province continues stepping up outreach, raising public awareness, and strengthening the leadership of Party committees and local administrations over tourism development. The province aims to comprehensively renew the contents and methods of media communication, tourism promotion, and marketing in a professional, modern direction suited to core domestic and international source markets. Budget allocations will be enhanced alongside active business engagement in trade promotion, market expansion, product design, and branding Điện Biên tourism.

Local authorities will focus investments on information technology and telecommunications infrastructure, expanding free Wi-Fi connectivity combined with commercial advertising and tourism product promotion across attractions; building shared digital platforms and integrated tourism databases; and accelerating digital transformation in tourism administration, promotion, business operations, and service delivery.

Focused efforts will be directed toward training and upgrading tourism human resources professionally, prioritizing local talents to establish a contingent of native tour guides, enhancing vocational skills for residents engaging in community tourism, attracting high-caliber specialists, and tightening linkages between training institutions and enterprises. In particular, Resolution No.16/2026/NQ-HĐND dated June 29, 2026, of the provincial People’s Council is anticipated to provide fresh impetus and open new opportunities for Điện Biên tourism to expand dynamically, progressively elevating industry quality and competitiveness.

Preserving and promoting the value of community-based cultural tourism villages represents not only the conservation of beauty handed down through generations, but an avenue for culture to remain vibrant and resonant throughout modern life. When citizens genuinely step forward as primary actors safeguarding and celebrating their identity, every village becomes a living cultural space and an alluring destination. This establishes the foundation for Điện Biên to unlock the potential of community tourism, foster livelihoods, and elevate people’s living standards.