Vineyards in the south central province of Ninh Thuan have become a tourism product (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The enhancement ofcapitalising on values of the agricultural sector to create high-quality andcompetitive tourism products is an inevitable trend, said Nguyen Quy Phuong –Director of the Travel Department under the Vietnam National Administration ofTourism.
He made the remark at a workshop on agri-tourismin Hanoi on March 30. The event was part of the Vietnam International TravelMart (VITM) 2018.
Phuong said tourism and agriculture are twospearhead sectors that the Party and State prioritise in the country’ssocio-economic development orientation. In the time ahead, the policies onnew-style rural area building and high-quality agriculture development will befavourable conditions for tourism to develop.
Over the past time, a number of organisationsand individuals in many localities have made use of agricultural factors todevelop tourism. Many tourism products imbued with agricultural identities ofregions from the north to the south have been created, meeting tourists’demand.
He noted some outstanding tours, including thetour in the rice harvest period in Duong Lam of Hanoi; the tours of Tra Quevegetable village, Thanh Ha pottery village and Cu Lao Cham fishing village inHoi An of central Quang Nam province; or trips to orchards and floating marketsin Can Tho, Vinh Long and Tien Giang in the Mekong Delta.
At the workshop, many participants saidagri-tourism brought economic and social benefits to many localities andbusinesses. Some localities and travel companies reported that the number oftourists engaging in agricultural activities has been on the rise. Meanwhile,agri-tourism activities have become a stable source of income for local farmersand businesses.
However, they noted, despite the considerablepotential for agri-tourism, agri-tourism activities in Vietnam remainunprofessional. Local agricultural and cultural values haven’t been studiedmethodologically to create high-quality tourism products. Many agri-tourismmodels still mainly depend on the natural environment and haven’t been renewed,making them no long attractive to travellers.
Participants added to boost agri-tourism, thetourism and agriculture sectors need to coordinate to build a nationalprogramme on agri-tourism associated with building new-style rural areas.Relevant parties should also strengthen the connectivity among farmers, travelfirms, local authorities, and tourism management agencies to introduce morehigh-quality and professional agri-tourism products.-VNA
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