Each day thousands of visitors are visiting Vietnam. However, they all seem to flock together, walking exactly the same streets and visiting similar restaurants. How come? Tourists are simply following the guide book big tourism agencies provided them with. As a result, they rarely get off the beaten tourist track and see more other tourists on their journey than locals! Well, this can be done differently. In order to show tourists the real Vietnam, a new platform called Withlocals.com aims to connect travelers with the local population directly. The locals can become guides who offer various activities, tours, and even home dinner experiences to tourists. Because there is no intervention of massive tourism agencies, the locals get a good buck for something they do daily, by setting their own prices.

“The idea is to let the local population earn money by using their own skills and strengths. After all, they are the real experts of Vietnam. At the same time, tourists get to experience the open culture of the Vietnamese through the eyes of a local. Think about it, how great would it be to change the travel landscape, and connect locals and tourists by simply eating a homemade meal together?” said Mark Mansveld, co-founder of Withlocals.

Tourism in this century is all about connecting cultures and meeting friends from all over the world. Think about organizing a home dinner party, taking tourists to the food market to buy local ingredients, teaching them how to steer a boat on the Mekong delta or showing them the best places to go out and have a coffee in Ho Chi Minh City. By simply cooking and exploring together, tourism becomes more direct and genuine. 

Got excited? If you are a local of Vietnam and if you want to participate, check out the website of Withlocals. The kick off will be in Vietnam for a small group of tourists and locals, after which Withlocals will expand to other countries in Asia.