Muong La taps community-based tourism for sustainable growth

Leveraging its natural landscapes and rich ethnic cultural identity, Muong La district is actively promoting sustainable tourism through community-based models. The district has encouraged local households to invest in homestays and improve the surrounding environment, resulting in the development of three hotels, 31 guesthouses and homestays, and two community tourism sites.

These initiatives have created over 100 direct jobs and more than 300 indirect jobs. Since the beginning of 2025, Muong La has welcomed nearly 140,000 visitors, including 700 foreigners, generating an estimated revenue of 48.8 billion VND (1.88 million USD).

A corner of Nam Nghep hamlet, Ngoc Chien commune, Muong La district.

In February 2024, the Chieng San Ecotourism Cooperative was established in Nong Luong hamlet, Chieng San commune, with seven founding members. The cooperative invested over 2 billion VND in restoring Tat Pha Waterfall, upgrading over 1 km of access road, constructing a dam, renovating lodging and dining facilities, and introducing fish and goat farming to enhance the landscape. "After just over a year of operation, the site has begun attracting a significant number of tourists, especially during holidays and weekends," said Director Cam Van Luan.

In October 2024, the Nam Nghep Cooperative was founded in Nam Nghep hamlet, Ngoc Chien commune, aiming to help the local Mong ethnic community develop tourism through cultural and natural assets. After nearly eight months, the cooperative and locals have launched 18 tourism products such as hiking, cloud hunting, and flower viewing. "Currently, the cooperative has 10 members and operates three homestays, each welcoming around 20 guests daily. We’re encouraging more households to join, improve the landscape, and expand the homestay model," said Director Thao A Vang. Following the 2025 Son Tra (Hawthorn) Flower Festival, the cooperative also introduced four local specialty products: Son Tra tea, wild honey, Son Tra liquor, and indigenous herbal products.


Tourists experiece the floating house in Muong Trai, Muong La district.

The tourism momentum has also transformed lives. Khang A Nha, once a reserved farmer, has become an enthusiastic and skilled tourism advocate. As a member of the Nam Nghep Cooperative, he now manages communications, guides tours, and operates a local motorcycle taxi service. "Thanks to the support and training provided by local authorities, our tours now attract more visitors, improving household incomes and bringing new vitality to our hamlet," Nha shared.

In Phieng Hua La hamlet, Muong Trai commune, several households have developed tourism experiences around the Son La hydropower reservoir. The Muong Trai floating house complex—built from bamboo with thatched roofs—offers a natural, rustic experience. The operators have invested in a motorboat for 15 passengers and partnered with three other tourist boats (15–30 guests each). In 2024, Lo Thi Chuong launched a guesthouse with two private rooms and a dormitory, capable of serving 20 guests per day.

Vice Chairwoman of Muong La district Mua Thi Sinh said the district is actively supporting cooperatives and local residents in promoting tourism by maintaining a dedicated tourism website and linking it to the provincial site. The district is also using digital platforms and social media to boost visibility, while organising training sessions for homestay owners and tourism workers, and developing cultural performances for visitors. Muong La has also restored and maintained several traditional festivals, including the New Rice Festival, the Son Tra Flower Festival in Ngoc Chien commune, the Pang A Festival of the La Ha people, and the Nang Han (Miss Han) Festival in Muong Trai commune.

Under its 2020–2025 Tourism Development Plan, Muong La focuses on promotional campaigns, regional tourism links, and developing ecological and cultural tourism products. The district encourages infrastructure investment, human resource development, and effective public management. Green agriculture tied to tourism is also promoted, with the goal of building unique, differentiated tourism products based on local potential and advantages—positioning tourism as a key driver of socio-economic development.

Comment

You have 500/500 characters left

Please enter 5 or more characters!!!

Recent news

  • 'Son La Party Secretary inspects progress of key projects in Chieng Sinh, Chieng Coi wards

    Son La Party Secretary inspects progress of key projects in Chieng Sinh, Chieng Coi wards

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Hoang Van Nghiem, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and head of the provincial delegation to the National Assembly, on October 31 inspected the progress of two projects in Chieng Sinh and Chieng Coi wards. The projects are the Son La City Cemetery Park in Chieng Sinh ward and the Hoang Quoc Viet - Me Ban - Tran Dang Ninh Road in Chieng Coi ward.
  • 'Lighting the dreams of students in border areas

    Lighting the dreams of students in border areas

    SOCIETY -
    The 2026-2027 academic year marks the official opening of Phieng Pan Primary and Secondary Boarding School in the border commune of Phieng Pan. The school currently has 967 students and 56 staff members, including teachers and other personnel. Its modern facilities, built with comprehensive investment, provide students with an improved environment for both learning and daily life.
  • 'Phu Yen holds second job fair in 2026

    Phu Yen holds second job fair in 2026

    SOCIETY -
    The Phu Yen commune People's Committee, in coordination with the Centre for Archives, Employment and Services for People with Meritorious Contributions under the Son La provincial Department of Home Affairs, held its second job fair and career guidance event in 2026 at Phu Yen High School on October 31.
  • 'Son La improves quality of patriotic emulation campaigns

    Son La improves quality of patriotic emulation campaigns

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Nguyen Dinh Viet, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee and Chairman of the provincial Emulation and Commendation Council, on October 30 chaired a conference to review emulation and commendation activities over the first nine months of 2026 and outline tasks for the final three months of the year.
  • '360 athletes compete in Son La Taekwondo championships 2026

    360 athletes compete in Son La Taekwondo championships 2026

    SPORTS -
    As part of the 10th Son La Sports Games 2026, the provincial age-group Taekwondo championships took place from October 27 to 30 at the competition venue of the provincial Cultural and Sports Centre. The tournament attracted 360 athletes representing 19 communes and wards across the province.
  • 'Muong Gion commune holds civil defence, forest fire response and search and rescue exercise 2026

    Muong Gion commune holds civil defence, forest fire response and search and rescue exercise 2026

    SOCIETY -
    Muong Gion commune held a civil defence, forest fire response and search and rescue exercise 2026 on October 30. Participants included leaders of the provincial Military Command and the provincial Department of Public Security, and representatives of provincial departments and agencies, communes across the province, and neighbouring communes in Lai Chau and Dien Bien provinces.
  • 'Son La disseminates key Party resolutions, conclusions

    Son La disseminates key Party resolutions, conclusions

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Standing Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council Lo Minh Hung, and Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and President of the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee Cha A Cua co-chaired a conference on October 29 to study, disseminate and carry out resolutions and action programmes implementing the resolutions of the 14th Party Central Committee’s fourth plenum, as well as conclusions, directives and regulations issued by the Party Central Committee and directives of the provincial Party Committee.
  • ' Son La steps up digital transformation in Party agencies

    Son La steps up digital transformation in Party agencies

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Lo Minh Hung, Standing Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the provincial People’s Council and head of the steering team for digital transformation in Party agencies, chaired a meeting on October 29 to review the work in October and outline key tasks for November.
  • 'Son La steering committee on anti-corruption reviews October performance

    Son La steering committee on anti-corruption reviews October performance

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Lo Minh Hung, Standing Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the provincial People's Council and deputy head of the provincial Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of Corruption, Wastefulness and Negative Practices, on October 28 chaired a meeting of the steering committee's standing members to review performance in October and set key priorities for November.
  • ' Son La digitalises coffee-growing areas to ensure product traceability

    Son La digitalises coffee-growing areas to ensure product traceability

    BUSINESS -
    To meet traceability requirements and the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Son La province is stepping up efforts to review and digitise information on coffee-growing areas. Collecting data down to individual production plots provides a basis for identifying the origin of raw materials, classifying risks, managing growing areas and supporting coffee exports.
  • 'Provincial People’s Committee reviews October socio-economic development

    Provincial People’s Committee reviews October socio-economic development

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Nguyen Dinh Viet, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, chaired the seventh session of the 16th provincial People’s Committee for the 2026-2031 term on October 27 to review socio-economic development, national defence and security in October and set key priorities for November.