Specialties become gift packages to mark the destination

On the journey of tourism development, the Da Nang - Hoi An area has for many years created a common market for specialty products to serve tourists. The need to enjoy and give gifts of millions of visitors each year has become an important driving force, helping rural production areas promote their local strengths, turning agricultural products into "takeaway dishes".

The eye-catching displays of specialties impress visitors. Photo: VAN HOANG

Almost parallel to the footsteps of tourists in every peak season, dishes made from local agricultural products have long appeared in the specialty retail system in Da Nang and Hoi An, two areas that are always bustling with both domestic and international tourists . This is also where products from Tien Phuoc, Tam Ky, Que Son… maintain their position thanks to stable quality and carefully invested designs.

In Lanh Ngoc commune, a semi-mountainous area of ​​​​the land of Tien, Dat Quang Green Agriculture Cooperative has formed a product chain from local agricultural products such as dried bananas, banana snacks, jackfruit snacks, ginger balls... serving the system of specialty stores, souvenir shops and shopping centers in places with many tourists. The products are processed according to a closed process, packaged delicately, fully printed with expiry date, barcode and information about the raw material area, meeting the needs of tourists to buy "take-away" gifts.

Meanwhile, in Tam Ky and the southern coastal areas of Da Nang , baked coconut cake - a traditional cake made from dried coconut, sticky rice flour and sugar, has become a popular item in supermarkets, souvenir shops, Da Nang airport and even stalls in Hoi An ancient town. Brands such as Bao Linh, Quy Thu, CoCo... all developed on the basis of traditional crafts, then expanded their scale and standardized their packaging for convenient transportation, preservation and introduction in modern sales spaces.

Quy Thu coconut cake products are still regularly produced to serve the tourist market. Photo: PHAN VINH

Amidst the bustling crowd coming and going at the specialty shops along the coast of Da Nang, Ha Viet Duc, a tourist from Bay Hien Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, slowly picked out each gift package on the shelves. Taking advantage of the last afternoon before leaving the city, he stopped at a shopping center on Vo Nguyen Giap Street, which specializes in providing hundreds of specialty products from the central provinces.

“Entering the space of the specialty center, I did not spend much time thinking and choosing, but quickly put a few jars of squid, sesame crackers and dried jackfruit into the shopping cart because these are products of Quang Nam, my relatives and friends will definitely like them when they receive them. More importantly, the products here are all packaged firmly, neatly, easy to put in carry-on luggage without worrying about damage on the return flight,” said Mr. Duc.

At the Da Nang Specialty Gift Center, Mr. Pham Dac Chau, the person in charge of operating the system, said that the store is located right at the intersection of Do Ba - Vo Nguyen Giap, one of the roads with many hotels and coastal resorts, so it is almost always empty of customers. The store sells more than 500 specialty products from the Central provinces, but the best-selling products are still those associated with the Da Nang and Quang Nam brands, especially those that can be used immediately, are easy to preserve and can be carried in hand luggage.

Mr. Chau said: “According to statistics for the past 3 months, specialty products such as garlic seaweed, spiced dried fish, sesame crackers and banana snacks, grilled coconut crackers are always in the top of revenue. Customers care about labels, production dates, food safety and hygiene, but at the same time, they also pay attention to emotional factors because they want the gifts they bring home to be both delicious and remind them of the places they have been to as a source of pride.”

According to records, to create a complete shopping experience, most specialty stores always arrange on-site tasting spaces, design each counter according to product groups and origins, thereby helping customers visualize the production area more easily. Seemingly small details such as packaging colors, bilingual introduction boards, to messages printed on labels... are all carefully considered to bring a sense of closeness, respect and recall past memories. And who knows, from that small gift package, the journey of connection is expanded, like an invitation to return to this warm Quang land in the near future.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/dac-san-tro-thanh-goi-qua-ghi-dau-cho-diem-den-3308573.html