Local households living near the Stork Island in northern Hai Huong province participated in a training course on building community-based tourism products on the island on October 22-23.

Participants were provided with skills and information on welcoming homestay tourists, guiding them how to work on farm, and organising folk games.

Held by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Hanoi Tourism Investment JSC, the event is part of the project on “Development of community-based tourism in Chi Lang Nam, Thanh Mien district by 2020”, aiming to help local people self-organise tourism activities, develop eco-tourism and protect the environment.

Stork Island, covering nearly 32,000 hectares, is located in the middle of An Duong Lake in Chi Lang Nam commune, Thanh Mien district. It is now home to about 170 flora and fauna species. From the ninth month of lunar calendar to the fourth of next year, thousands of storks, herons and birds flock to the island to seek for food.

Hai Duong province has defined Stork Island eco-tourism and Con Son-Kiep Bac cultural tourism as the potential and spearhead to develop the province’s “non-smoke” industry.