4 new elements called agricultural tourism
At the seminar "Solutions for developing livestock farming associated with ecotourism" recently held in Nha Trang City (Khanh Hoa), Mr. Nguyen Van Huong, National Agricultural Extension Center said that agricultural tourism is a model that many countries in the world are applying to help farmers convert from traditional agriculture to agriculture combined with entertainment and experience, bringing high efficiency to both the agricultural and tourism sectors.
It is forecasted that in the future, agricultural tourism will become increasingly popular and become a promising and multi-beneficial field. This contributes to economic development, job creation for workers, agricultural tourism, limiting the tendency to leave home, promoting integration and on-site export.
According to experts, there are 4 elements to be called "agricultural tourism": Combining tourism and agriculture; attracting tourists to visit agricultural-related activities; increasing income for farmers; creating opportunities for tourists to entertain, exercise physically and mentally, get close to nature and experience farming life.
Developing agricultural tourism has the effect of diversifying mixed tourism products and services for tourists, increasing the flow of tourists to rural areas. As well as extending the tourist season during the low season of the industry. Participating in this form of tourism, tourists can experience agricultural production activities, enjoy the beauty of the human landscape created by agricultural production activities.
In Vietnam, tourism and agriculture are two closely related industries and are both spearhead industries prioritized for development in Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW of the 7th Conference of the 10th Party Central Committee on agriculture, farmers and rural areas and Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW dated January 16, 2017 of the Politburo, which identified tourism development as a spearhead economic sector. In the strategic orientation for Vietnam's tourism development, ecotourism associated with agriculture and rural areas is identified as one of the five main product lines. Currently, typical agricultural tourism products include: Visiting Duong Lam ancient village (Hanoi); visiting tea hills and dairy farms in Moc Chau farm (Son La); enjoying terraced fields in the ripe rice season in Mu Cang Chai (Yen Bai), Sa Pa (Lao Cai); Tra Que vegetable village (Quang Nam); Experiencing hydroponic vegetable gardens, tea hills, high-tech flowers in Da Lat (Lam Dong); eco-tourism along the Saigon River; experiencing cashew gardens in Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai; homegrown fruit in Binh Duong, craft village tourism in An Giang; sightseeing and relaxation tours at vineyards, apple orchards, goat and sheep farms in Ninh Thuan province...
According to reports from some localities and businesses, the number of visitors participating in rural agricultural activities is increasing. Currently, in the total income of rural people, income from agricultural production accounts for only about 27%, while non-agricultural production activities and services account for 73%.
Agricultural tourism models with the direct participation of local people have created a rich and attractive tourism product, while bringing higher income to farmers, becoming a method of poverty reduction, aiming at sustainable and effective development in disadvantaged communities and rural areas across the country... This is considered an initial positive signal when implementing agricultural tourism development in our country. Maintaining production while attracting tourists is a dual task in the agricultural and forestry sector for Mu Cang Chai district, Lao Cai province
Untangling the bottleneck
Talking to the press on the sidelines of the discussion, Mr. Dang Quy Nhan, Deputy Head of the OCOP Management and Rural Tourism Department, Central Office for New Rural Area Coordination, said that Vietnam has great potential to develop agricultural and rural tourism, because there are many natural landscapes, biodiversity, crops, products from the North to the South, from the Central region to the Central Highlands and each place has its own strengths.
However, according to Mr. Nhan, in the recent past, the implementation of agricultural tourism development has encountered many difficulties and obstacles due to legal bottlenecks. For example, areas with potential for tourism development are often located in very special locations such as protective forests, special-use forests or beautiful natural landscapes and waterfalls but located deep in the forest. However, in the Forestry Law, the Land Law does not allow the conversion of land use purposes or the construction of works to serve services at that location. However, up to now, the Party, the State and the Government have also paid attention and made steps to remove this bottleneck. Specifically, the revised Land Law 2024, effective from August 1, has also provided legal solutions for the program, when there are regulations
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Phuoc