Have you even been to a strangers’ wedding? Where else if not in Vietnam this can only be possible in the World. Now you have a chance to take part in a real wedding where a lovely couple make a bond for all their lives and that special day, they invite also stranger travelers to celebrate with them.
Drums roll! The first event is scheduled on 8th of May 2022 but LikeLocal.io (the platform that makes this possible) aims to have it on the regular bases.
Experienced travelers know that the greatest value during the journey is the reality. Everyone tries to explore, encounter “off the beaten track”, “local experiences”, but it’s not easy. Touristic industry players offer only designed and staged events. Vietnam becomes the first place in the world where travelers can dive into the local culture and see the reality. These are either routine events like lunch or dinner with local families, or celebrations of local holidays and festivities.
Vietnamese people are the pioneers, ready to show their regular life and real culture. This is outstanding as in our experience we have tried to enter several markets but the most successful, we can say, is Vietnam. This shows how the society is open, welcoming, hospitable, and proud to show its culture. Nevertheless, there is another interesting quality: Vietnamese people are ready to learn other cultures as well. Cross-cultural exchange happens when both parties share and take. Being open to receiving guests, they also opt to learn and discover.
LikeLocal.io targets young and intellectual travelers who want to discover the real culture during their travel. There are many of them who try to connect with locals and get behind the closed doors, but it is hard with the current model of the tourism industry. We are sure that many young and educated travelers will be interested to see the truth, to absorb the colors of various cultures and share themselves too.
The system works as any familiar marketplace. Locals register and publish the dates when they can receive guests. Travelers brows and book according to their schedule and preferences. The platform works both on desktop and mobile versions.
LikeLocal.io, is the startup that aims to realize positive cross-cultural exchange among both the travelers and locals. Founded by three different nationalities back in 2020 it was a bit slowed down during the COVID pandemic, but they are back to normal functionality now.
It’s known that stereotypes and phobias lead the world. Tourism is not an exception and unfortunately, the confirmation bias wins when we travel. There have been several studies showing how two not friendly nationalities visiting each other’s countries hardly change their mindsets, but rather seek for proof of their prejudices.
To overcome that issue, LikeLocal.io is building the environment where the interaction between the travelers and locals will be done according to the four principles that guarantee the positive cross-cultural exchange. It shall be based on cooperation and making good together and include volunteering and equal status. To illustrate this solution of breaking the comfort and stereotype bubbles, we make the soap bubbles at the end of the events.
So, fix the date, 8th of May, you are invited to a Vietnamese Wedding. Heaps of fun are guaranteed!
By Gevorg Babayan
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Source: Vietnam Insider