Kien Giang (VNA) – The island district of Phu Quoc in the Mekong Deltaprovince of Kien Giang has actively promoted pepper-based ecotourism, with theaim of diversifying its tourism and promoting its pepper product.

The local authorities havepaid heed to scientific research in pepper cultivation to improve the qualityand productivity of the specialty and develop local tourism sustainably.

Noticeably, the University ofCan Tho successfully carried out a project namely “Building Phu Quoc pepperproduction model towards GlobalGAP (Global Good Agricultural Practice)” underthe support of provincial Department of Science and Technology in 2012.

The project has helped fivepepper farms with an area of 5 hectares each in the locality to meet theGlobalGAP standard for food hygiene.

Farmer Nguyen Van Binh isamong pepper farm owners who are beneficial from the project. Thanks to properlyapplying biotechnology and GlobalGAP-qualified production line, his farm, alongwith two other farms, now welcome hundreds of foreign and domestic visitors perday.

To fully tap the farm’sadvantages, he is also focusing on producing various products derived frompepper, like dipping salts, green and dried pepper. He is also building ecolodges and developing recreational activities to better serve visitors.

Binh’s farm represents theprevailing and appealing tourism product of pepper farm visit on the island, whichis attracting many visitors. The new tourism product contributes to diversifyinglocal tourism, improving local people’s livelihood and promoting Phu Quoc’simage to international friends.

According to Dr. Nguyen XuanNiem, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Science and Technology, pepperfarms should meet criteria for ecotourism service supply, including asufficient area for dining, sightseeing, tourist services and accommodation,Global-GAP certification for pepper production and cultivation, human resourcesand basic facilities and equipment for tourism.

He also advised local farms todevelop areas for pepper display to introduce its life-cycle and products, aswell as to promote local tourism in particular and provincial tourism ingeneral.

Currently, the localgovernment is assisting some farms in pepper’s quality and landscapeimprovements and supporting services development.

Phu Quoc is the largest peppergrowing district in the Mekong Delta with nearly 430 ha under the tree. Pepper inthe locality is among the best in the country.

Nguyen Thanh Hung, a visitorfrom Ho Chi Minh City said, Phu Quoc’s pepperhas a richer and stronger flavour than those from most other places in themainland of Vietnam.

Pepper cultivation is a localtraditional industry. It is defined by the district-level authorities as thelocality’s economic spearhead. Pepper farms here cover 500 hectares with atotal yield of approximately 1,250 tonnes per year.

In 2011, Phu Quoc pepper wasrecognised as a collective trademark of customers’ choice by the NationalOffice of Intellectual Property of Vietnam, demonstrating the local pepper’svalues and quality as well as creating favourable conditions for the product tocompete in price and quality in the international market.

Apart from pepper-basedecotourism, other tourism related projects have also been put into operation,including the Vinpearl Phu Quoc eco-tourism resort, Phu Quoc internationalairport, Bai Vong seaport, and waterway transport systems.

With the aim to attract morevisitors, the locality has also launched a number of new tours andinternational flights to link the island with foreign countries such as Russia,Singapore, Cambodia, China and the Republic of Korea.

Besides, the local authoritiesalso have actively upgraded infrastructure and promoted the values of culturaland historical sites on the island, including Phu Quoc prison and Phat Quangpagoda.

The island district of PhuQuoc is expected to welcome 800,000 tourists by the end of the year, witharound 100,000 international visitors and turn into a hi-end eco-tourism resortcentre in the region and further./.