What we do and how we do it

“Travel less harmful, travel more ethical”…

Dear travelers, supporters, friends,

In my experience working with the travel industry. Companies build more and more hotels and resort to appeal to more and more travelers so that they can develop more and more facilities that appeal to even more people. 

It is a reckless trajectory of unrestrained development. 

Something cannot continue to grow and grow and grow. Eventually, it implodes. When a destination is known for its beauty in nature and its prosperity in cultures are replaced by unregulated developments and endless financial growth without regard to the negative consequences to the environment and the local communities. Eventually, nature disappears while the communities suffer.  

For many of those who have lived and traveled here in Vietnam, I can’t help hearing the question of when this is going to end. When will the development of resorts and hotels be stopped? When will we stop seeing this destructive pattern occurring again and again? When will we have a platform to be involved in how things are done? 

That is the reality with the tourism industry in Vietnam unfortunately… 

Our project aims to deal with reality while working with the communities and travelers to together build better travel businesses and practices in this beautiful land full of spirits and natural wonders. Our project hopes to interrupt the current structure of unethical tourism not by idealistically removing ourselves from it nor ambitiously creating a new structure. But by encouraging the preservation of traditional Vietnamese farming spirits and highlighting more ethical travel options in this inherently destructive industry. Ultimately, as a travel company, we strive for a sustainable future for our own business and a sense of career security, not to grow or develop anything else.

We hope that together with what we do, you would be an important part of our project toward sustainability tourism.

Sincerely,

Cuong Vu - Project’s Leader

How do we work?

Increasing capacity, building trust toward an ethical travel business model.

Our work is based on three main principles. First, we focus on building capacity within our local ethnic minority team to empower them. Second, we prioritize creating a business structure that facilitates transparency and trust for our customers. Finally, education about sustainability is an essential part of traveling with us.

Our holistic project has been recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization in Vietnam and Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as an initiative that creates additional economic values for primitive farming in Vietnam, especially for northern highlanders. The Food and Agriculture Organization is currently interested in expanding our business model to other parts of Vietnam.

Capacity Building

We strongly believe that communities are the heart of the destinations we visit. Our capacity building programs are based on three essential components that guide our work.

  • Intercultural communication is an essential tool that helps foster mutual understanding between locals and travelers. Without effective communication, it would be challenging for us to do our job in providing a safe and enjoyable travel experience. Our communication training modules are not only focused on English language training but also on understanding the needs and motivations of international travelers.

    We hope that by improving our communication skills, we can better share with you what we are capable of doing and what we are unable to do while working with us. This will enable you to make more informed decisions based on your needs and motivations.

  • Leading a group, especially for special interest travel operations, comes with various risks and challenges that cannot be taken lightly. Our guide training program is designed to equip our guides with the necessary skills and knowledge to manage these risks effectively. The program focuses on leadership management, planning, and research, as well as accident and emergency management.

    Our goal is to ensure that our travelers have an enjoyable and safe experience while minimizing risks. As such, our tour guide program is an integral part of our capacity-building process. We believe that by investing in our guides, we can provide better services and experiences for our customers.

  • It's true that locals and travelers have different needs and expectations. Our goal is to create an authentic experience for our customers while providing them with the safest and most comfortable environment possible. We understand that locals may have different preferences such as sleeping on a mat rather than a mattress or eating certain foods that travelers might not be accustomed to.

    Our Accommodation management program focuses on hygiene, safety, and comfort standards. We strive to strike a good balance between authenticity and reality so that travelers can enjoy their experience while also respecting local traditions. Our aim is to create a memorable and enjoyable experience for our customers while also supporting the local community.

Socially Responsible Business Model

Our company has been built on a social business model that prioritizes the relationship between our team members, customers, and the local community. Our team members are not only guides, hosts, and service providers but also shareholders and co-investors of our accommodations and facilities.

We believe that this approach is the best way to increase accountability to our customers while also strengthening their rights within the community. By involving our team members as stakeholders in our business, we can ensure that everyone is invested in providing the best possible experience for our customers while supporting the local community.

  • Ha Giang Adventure is currently responsible for one van, one car, and ten motorbikes that are used for our tours. We also own high-quality equipment that meets international standards. All of our investments are funded by our team members, who have full responsibility for taking care of our facility.

    With ownership comes a greater sense of accountability, and our team members are committed to maintaining our facilities to the highest possible standards. This ensures that our equipment is up-to-date and well-maintained, reducing the risk of any issues arising during our tours and providing a safer experience for our customers.

  • Through a social investment fund, we have been able to renovate one of our team member's homes and turn it into a homestay for our customers during our adventure tours. This is part of our efforts to enhance authenticity while providing comfort for our customers.

    Our homestay offers a unique opportunity for travelers to experience life with the local community in a comfortable and safe environment. It also allows us to support our team members by providing them with an additional source of income. We believe that this approach not only benefits our customers but also helps to promote sustainable tourism and supports the local community.

  • At Ha Giang Adventure, we are committed to providing our customers with unique and exciting experiences. In addition to investing in facilities, we also invest in our guides' new special-interest skills that are relevant to our small group adventure travel business.

    Our investment focuses on educating our guides on new skills, providing them with the necessary sports equipment, and training them in operation management. For example, we have sent one of our guides to Paragliding Pilot School to learn how to tandem paraglide. We expect that within the next two years, he will be able to add this activity to our list of offerings in Ha Giang.

    By investing in our guides' education and skill development, we can provide our customers with a wide range of activities and experiences while also supporting our team members' personal and professional growth.

Environmentally-Aware Operations

Traveling has a major impact on the environment, often leading to the creation of avoidable waste. However, we are dedicated to ensuring that your travel experience with us has minimal negative effects on the environment. We strive to promote sustainable practices and discourage any harmful behaviors during your travels with our company.

  • Asia has a significant issue with single-use plastic items. The ocean is already contaminated with an estimated 5.2 trillion pieces of plastic, and this number increases by 8 million tons annually. We strongly advise our customers against using these items and instead, we offer high-quality performance plastic products such as water bottles, rain ponchos, and bag covers as eco-friendly alternatives.

  • Our choice of stops during our trips is highly appreciated by many travelers. We often stop at homestays or small restaurants where locals dine, ensuring that we promote homegrown products that are free from sprays or any other forms of chemical interference.

  • Vietnam is quickly becoming a leading nation in the production of electric vehicles, despite the high costs associated with investing and operating such systems. While it may not be affordable for most travelers, we are gradually transitioning our operations to include electric cars and motorbikes. If you have any initiatives or would like to invest in our project, please let us know.