The children at An Tay Children Protection Center were playing games with visitors
Sharing
I could realize all the significance and values of charity tours when I was on a charity tour bus to the mountainous district of A Luoi, organized by Vietravel Hue branch on a day in mid-August of lunar year.
Our group decided to depart earlier for a better preparation for the mid-Autumn Festival organized for the children at A Ngo Primary school. To our surprise, the children were already there with eagerness shown on their faces.
Pham Van Hang, a tour taker, said that she sympathized with the children when she saw their joy to see the unicorn dance and receive the gifts, which seemed “luxurious” to them. This is not the tour exploring A Luoi. The children’s bright happy faces when receiving gifts will be a motivation for the visitors to be back in many more tours.
Mr. Le Minh Niem, Chairman of the People’s Committee of A Ngo Commune, said that this charity activity was better prepared than any other activity ever organized before, and thus the children benefited more. As A Ngo is a disadvantaged commune, it is very essential and significant to help the children to have a happy mid-Autumn Festival.
Likewise, An Tay Children Protection Center had welcomed many visitors to come and share their love with the disadvantaged children during this mid-Autumn season. Among the visitors, there were some tourists to Hue from the western hemisphere of the earth who agreed to join the tour when they heard about it.
Tran Van Truyen, the branch manager of the Trading and Service Co., Ltd. ‘A Travel Mate’ said the program themed as “Mid-Autumn for Children” was designed with the hope to bring the motivation, happiness and fun for the children. Together with many amusing games the tourists organized for the children, they gave gifts to the children as the warmth of love to them during the mid-Autumn Festival.
Tran Dinh Minh Duc, Head of the Travel Management Office, the Provincial Department of Tourism, explains that charity tour, unlike ordinary ones, includes the trips to disadvantaged but tourist-prospective areas. Tour takers are tourists and volunteers who want to help people in need.
According to Duc, the first benefit of this form of tour is an experience of kindness. Instead of traveling to behold the scenery, many tourists today choose to go on a charity excursion to share their love with poor people.
Visitors gave gifts to children at An Tay Children Protection Center
More tours, more help
According to the Department of Tourism, charity tours were originally organized by the travel agencies for their staff and philanthropists. Tour operators are now realistically broadening the tour for tourist participation.
They have now considered it a real form of business. It is also a better way of promoting their business, showing their sense of community and responsibility towards the destination.
Tran Dinh Minh Duc added that charity tourist activities could achieve multifaceted ends, including poverty reduction, health improvement, environment protection, natural preservation and World Heritage conservation. The activities included in this kind of tour are school and library building, house repairing after natural disasters. The charity tours also inspire the young with love for life.
The Representative of Vietravel in Hue informed that the company has introduced the first patented charity tour program exclusive in the Central Vietnam. In this program, Vietravel Hue will deduce 3-5% of the gross profit from the tours to contribute to the Tuong-than-tuong-ai Fund (Mutual Assistance Fund) and give help in situ during the tour. The implementation of this tour makes it easy to connect with other traditional tours in Hue.
Experts said that charity tourism in Hue could be developed in association with the cultural and relaxing tourism, spirit and Zen tourism as Hue has an appropriate system of ancient gardens and houses as well as pagodas and temples. Moreover, there are special festivals restored and preserved in Hue, laying a good groundwork for tourism development combined with charity tours.
Story and photos: Duc Quang