OCOP tourism ambassadors spread cultural values.

With its vast natural area and diverse product ecosystem, Lam Dong province is focusing on developing OCOP products that possess potential, competitive advantages, and unique characteristics. In particular, linking OCOP products with tourism development is receiving significant investment from many individuals and organizations in the province, initially yielding positive results.

Developing rural tourism in conjunction with promoting OCOP products and exploiting the local culture and knowledge of rural areas.

Community tourism achieves OCOP 3-star rating.

This approach not only enhances the economic value and efficiency of agricultural production, improving people's lives, but also practically contributes to preserving traditional cultural identity to serve tourism development. In recent times, Lam Dong province has implemented many trade promotion activities to support the promotion, introduction, and expansion of markets for the province's OCOP products, especially characteristic products serving tourists and local consumers.

Through trade fairs, exhibitions, supply-demand connection weeks, local specialty product introduction programs, and cultural and tourism events, many OCOP products from the province have been widely promoted to local people, tourists, and distribution businesses inside and outside the province. Lam Dong currently possesses a network of nearly 941 OCOP products, acting as excellent "tourism ambassadors" telling the local story. Each local gift and agricultural product not only represents quality but also promotes the culture, soil, and people of a land with great potential and room for growth.

According to Ms. Nguyen Lan Ngoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the province, integrating the promotion of OCOP products into trade promotion programs, cultural events, and tourism activities has contributed to enhancing the recognition of local products among tourists and consumers. Through trade promotion activities and supply-demand connections, many OCOP products of the province have gradually expanded their distribution systems, increased market access, served the shopping needs of people and tourists, and contributed to boosting the consumption of distinctive local products.

Currently, the province has several typical local tourism models and products associated with the production and consumption of OCOP products and the exploitation of local culture and knowledge in rural areas. In Lam Dong's blue sea region, the Bau Trang U&ME tourist area (Hoa Thang commune) is one of the few community tourism destinations in the province that has achieved 3-star OCOP certification.

Opened in 2022, the Bau Trang U&ME Tourist Area not only offers unique experiences amidst the majestic desert landscape but also preserves the memories and distinctive cultural values ​​of the Bau Trang region. It's an ideal destination where visitors can enjoy the innovative and passionate tourism services of its founder, as an extension of his love story with this sun-drenched land.

Diversifying tourism products

Mr. Pham Van Trong, representative of the Bau Trang U&ME tourist area, said: “In addition to providing tourists with fun activities, the tourist area also wants to promote Cham culture and Bac Binh commune to foreign visitors. Therefore, we want to combine local culture and traditional crafts into the performances, contributing to making it more attractive for tourists during holidays, festivals, and the summer season.”

Bau Trang U&ME Tourist Area (Hoa Thang commune) is one of the few community tourism destinations in the province to achieve OCOP 3-star certification.

Along with this community-based tourism product, other localities in the province are also developing typical local OCOP tourism products such as: Bong Lai Farm (Hiep Thanh commune), Avocado Farm (Quang Lap commune), Thai Duong Honey Farm (Duc Trong commune)... This has contributed to promoting the production and consumption of OCOP products and exploiting the local culture and knowledge of rural areas, diversifying the local tourism products.

Recently, the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee has outlined directions and policies to promote tourism development linked to the production and consumption of OCOP products. These include continuing to develop and expand characteristic rural tourism models in various regions; promoting digital transformation and innovation; preserving and promoting traditional cultural values; and building brands, focusing on developing tourism products associated with OCOP products, traditional craft villages, green tourism, and creating sustainable livelihoods in communes with tourism development potential.

To achieve this goal, Ms. Nguyen Lan Ngoc said that the Department is proposing to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration to advise the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to soon issue the Project "Developing tourism associated with the production and consumption of OCOP products, contributing to the preservation and promotion of cultural values ​​and indigenous knowledge in rural areas of Vietnam".

Lam Dong province boasts nearly 941 OCOP products, acting as excellent "tourism ambassadors" that tell the local story.

In addition, the Department also proposed that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to develop a set of criteria for recognizing rural tourist destinations to support and attract economic organizations and households to invest in the development of rural tourism. At the same time, policies should be implemented to support access to preferential loans, promote tourism, develop human resources, and preserve traditional cultural values.

Lam Dong currently has 941 OCOP products with valid certificates. Of these, 8 products are being evaluated and classified as 5-star by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; 80 products as 4-star; and 853 products as 3-star.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/dai-su-du-lich-ocop-lan-toa-gia-tri-van-hoa-444733.html