Mosaique’s open letter.
 
Another way to visit a country.

It’s really sad to see the magical Ha Long Bay at risk of increasing environmental pollution with the constant movement of hundreds of sailboats, and the barges filled with heaof coal and clay.  During cruises on Ha Long Bay, people will see many nylon bags and plastic bottles floating on the water.
Similarly, it is heart-breaking for anyone to see a little toddler, only able to utter a few words of their native language but able to speak in English and French: “Stylo, bonbon, Madam” or “pen, candy, sir !“. And to make sure that they get even more than what they ask for, the children might sing tunes like “Frere Jacques, frere Jacques …” or “Clementine, Clementine …”
The traveller, sleeping in a modern, comfortable  hotel, and leaving some food untouched on the table at the end of each meal, when he goes to these places, feels a little guilt, and often tries to make himself feel better by giving, and giving ….
The children or people receiving the gifts find this whole process far too easy and as a result, they often begin to lose their self-esteem, even at a very young age.
Just think about it a little more deeply: if we go to places where travellers have never yet ventured,  the first moments of communication with the children (or the locals) are moments of real, meaningful contact between human beings. The child will smile, take our hand, maybe want to ruffle our hair or stroke our bare arms, and he might even giggle a little nervously as he does so, but that is his way of trying to get to know this person who has come to meet him. And out of kindness, we give him a few small gifts:  perhaps a pen, a notebook,… thinking that in some small way these will help him at school. Everybody is satisfied…
But the second time this child sees a traveler coming … he no longer sees the traveler primarily as a human being but thinks more of the pen of notebook he is about to receive. There is no longer a contact between people, but instead, a communication based on the exchange of material items .
And thus the child’s pride and self-esteem are reduced, and, more seriously, he starts to lose his cultural identity.
It is impossible to blame either the traveler or the people receiving the gift. The problem lies in how both the traveler and child perceive each other.
Mosaique Tour wants to promote a different kind of tourism : "responsible, sharing and sustainable".

Responsibility: we are not only responsible for protecting the natural environment but also for protecting the mentality of local people. There are many tactful ways to help them combat material poverty without having a negative effect on their mentality.  For example, we prefer to put together all the books, notebooks, and pens that people have donated and then visit the school and give them to those responsible for running the school. Similarly, we take all the candies or cakes people have donated, and give them to the older women of the village who then pass them on to the children. In this way, they are receiving OUR gifts, but from THEIR OWN teachers or family members.
 
Equal sharing:   Mosaique tours aims to protect these people while helping them at the same time, thereby enabling them to retain a pride in their ethnic identity. It can be done in many different ways, such as:
- Giving people in the remote highlands some small gifts: rice for the family, candy for the children or old clothes for everyone to help them through the hard winter. - Co-operating with other social organisations such as Coup de Pouce in Hanoi, in distributing clothes that have been collected
We will always try to avoid creating a direct link in people’s minds between the gifts and our presence. Most importantly, we will try to encourage people to recognize the importance of their identity, which is their true wealth, and which they must never lose.
 
Sustainability, because without a responsible attitude on the part of travel agencies,  of the tour guides, of the travellers themselves, a country’s tourism can never last in the long run if the people’s way of thinking and cultural identity are eroded. This problem is not confined to our country, but can be seen throughout the developing world.

 
To protect Vietnam and other countries, please have a sense of responsibility and of equal sharing, for the sustainability of our industry.
 
Wishing you a very enjoyable trip !

 

Vo Buu Uy

Responsible of Mosaique tour.
 

Add: 30/66 Hoabinh7 Minhkhai street, HaiBaTrung district- HaNoi- VIETNAM

Tel: +84-4-3622 8551   Fax: +84-4-3622 85 48

Email: uytran9@mosaiquetour.vn - Hot line: +84-98 56 11 070

Website: www.mosaiquetour.vn