Everyday village stories are being reimagined by young ethnic minority people in Dak Lak province through short videos and images on digital platforms. It’s this simplicity that helps local culture spread naturally as well as more intimately.

Starting with simple videos filmed in her own village, the stories of H’Los Buon Ya (born in 1998, Ea Ktur commune) about her homeland have gradually gained widespread recognition through social media.

Graduating from university with a tourism degree, Ms. H’Los applied her knowledge to approach culture in a systematic way; she proactively invited village elders alongside artisans knowledgeable about the local culture to participate and share directly in her videos. As an outcome, her short videos about village life remains relatable, authentic, trustworthy, along with attractive to viewers. Ms. H’Los is currently collaborating with two other young ethnic minority people to create content as well as shoot videos, gradually professionalizing digital storytelling centred on local culture.

Ms. H’Los Buon Ya (far right) and the village chief introducing Kuop village (Ea Na commune) in the travelogue “Dak Lak - A place full of enchantment”.

Through Ms. H’Los’s story, it shows that social media is opening up a new pathway for youth to become “storytellers” for their homeland, bringing indigenous culture closer to broader communities.

From digital stories to real-life experiences

Across Dak Lak province, names such as Y Sol Sruk (Lien Son Lak commune), Y Xim Ndu (Dak Lieng commune), Y Pot Nie (Ea Na commune), and H’Zu Ni Nie (Buon Ma Thuot ward), etc. are gradually emerging as new-generation “cultural ambassadors”, representing the dynamic, knowledgeable, alongside forward-thinking ethnic minority youth in tourism development and modern agriculture.

The common thread among these youth is their choice to “travel in order to return”. After learning about green combined with sustainable tourism models, they realized that traditional culture is a valuable resource that needs to be effectively exploited while preserving its identity.

Foreign tourists learning about pottery making in Lien Son Lak commune.

A major advantage of ethnic minority youth lies in their deep understanding of local culture. Stories rooted in village life, customs, and traditional values, when conveyed through digital platforms, become engaging material that stimulates the curiosity among tourists.

Beyond sharing on social media, many young people are also proactively creating tourism products including trekking, folk storytelling, cooking with locals, or participating in production activities. As a result, digital content becomes a connecting channel, bringing tourists from the online space to real-life experiences.

This trend also aligns with current tourism tastes, as tourists increasingly seek personal coupled with in-depth experiences. They want to “live like locals”, immerse themselves in nature, and feel the culture from within.

With their cultural understanding together with relatable storytelling, the young generation in the villages is contributing to spreading local values, while gradually transforming culture into a sustainable tourism resource development.

Translated by TRINH THUY