Alleviating poverty through responsible tourism whereby unique tour experiences are also financing female small scale farmers

Loan Nguyen

As a student Loan was involved with Hanoikids, a student organization which allow students to practice their English while giving free walking tours. Loan learnt that genuine interactions bring joy to both tourists and locals alike but she was frustrated that tourism, a large industry for Vietnam, is not helping to solve the poverty problems in the local communities near the destinations. This is particularly the case for small scale farming communities, whose limited access to credit and business skills keep them poor.

 

Loan took part in SE Forum’s SE Outreach Accelerator in 2015.

 

Bloom Microventures

Bloom Microventures

Armed with experience from the hospitality industry, Loan approached and convinced Bloom Microventures’s founders, a group of British International Development graduates, to let her help them develop the business. In 2012 the management of Bloom was transferred to Loan and she established it as a non-profit under local ownership. Bloom Microventures now operate a self-sustaining model that provides unique experiences of local village life and scenery to tourists, whose fees go towards micro-financing the small-scale female farmers e.g. to buy farming equipment and livestock. As of today Bloom Microventures has provided loans to over 100 borrowers with 100% repayment rate and is now ranked in the top 35 out of 471 activities in Hanoi by Tripadvisor.