Hanoi makes efforts to link handicrafts with tourism

According to the Vietnam Association of Craft Villages, Hanoi currently has 1,350 craft villages. Among them, 327 traditional craft villages have been officially recognized, encompassing six groups of trades: woodwork, bamboo and rattan, ceramics, glass, textiles, fiber, embroidery, basketry, small-scale mechanics; processing and preservation of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products; handicraft production; processing and handling of raw materials for rural industries; ornamental plant production and trade; and services catering for rural production and community life.

Since it became a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Hanoi has marked a significant milestone in its journey toward sustainable development as a thousand-year-old cultural capital. The cultural spaces of craft villages and their unique handicraft products have become increasingly attractive to both international and domestic tourists.

With its unique cultural products, craft village tourism has become a strength of Hanoi. When experiencing this form of tourism, visitors can tour production sites, interact with artisans, participate in some production stages, and purchase a diverse array of handicrafts rich in national identity.

Visitors to Bat Trang Village enjoy creating their own ceramic pieces

However, Hanoi’s traditional craft villages are facing numerous difficulties and challenges in their journey to integrate into the global market, especially in meeting the standards of new-generation free trade agreements (FTAs).

Hanoi’s traditional craft villages still lack comprehensive infrastructure investment to support the development of cultural industries, such as facilities for tourist visits and product shopping, exhibition areas for showcasing products, parking lots, waste collection areas, restaurants, hotels, lighting systems, and more. The guides and presenters in these villages have not yet received adequate training in professional skills, expertise, and foreign languages.

Aware of the importance of cultural heritage and traditional craft villages in tourism development, Hanoi has been implementing various policies and solutions to effectively connect and leverage these valuable assets.

On August 27, 2024, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Instruction 29/CT-TTg on stimulating consumer demand, supporting production and business activities, and developing the domestic market. This important document serves as a foundation for various ministries, including the Ministry of Industry and Trade, to continue strengthening supply-demand connections, expanding the commodity market, and particularly promoting handicraft products.

According to the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, developing craft village tourism and connecting handicraft products with the tourism market is currently regarded as a general strategic direction for the capital.

Therefore, in the final months of 2024, Hanoi will continue to implement a series of activities, such as organizing the 2024 Hanoi Handicraft Product Design Competition, showcasing new and innovative handicraft products and design samples for 2024, and holding a thematic exhibition at the “Display and Promotion Point for OCOP Handicraft Products of the Capital.”

Thanks to various policies aimed at promoting the development of craft villages linked with tourism, several craft villages have attracted the attention of tourists.

When visiting Van Phuc, the birthplace of soft, glossy silk famous both domestically and internationally, tourists can immerse themselves in the peaceful atmosphere of a Northern Vietnamese village with charming narrow alleys, ancient moss-covered houses, and weaving looms operating steadily.

Visitors can visit families involved in the craft, witnessing the intricate process of hand-woven silk, from selecting materials, spinning threads and dyeing to weaving fabrics and creating patterns.

Alongside Van Phuc Silk Village, the traditional pottery village of Bat Trang in Gia Lam District is also leveraging its advantages to tap into tourism potential with initial success.

Famous for its sophisticated ceramic products, which range from household items to decorative pieces, visitors to Bat Trang can tour the kilns, learn about the production process, and even create their own unique ceramic pieces.

For Vietnam’s handicraft products to gain a strong position in the global market, aside from economic, social, environmental, and institutional solutions, and the overall development plan for the industry, it is necessary to promote the application of scientific and technological advancements in design and production, trade promotion, and the establishment of distribution networks for domestic sale and export.

Additionally, providing regular information about the market, product quality regulations, design trends, and consumer preferences is essential for craft village producers to align their production and export strategies.