Agricultural and rural tourism in Hanoi is being evaluated as a "gold mine".
According to statistics from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the number of tourists participating in rural and eco-tourism forms accounts for about 10%, with revenue of about 30 billion USD/year. On average, each year, the rate of tourists traveling to rural areas increases by 10-30%.
Hanoi Department of Tourism said that in the city, there are 11 farms operating in the direction of tourism and agricultural ecological experiences; 4 specialized agricultural cooperatives combiningeducation and experiential tourism including: Thanh Xuan Organic Vegetable Cooperative (Soc Son), Duong Lam Vegetable Cooperative (Son Tay), Dong Tien Commune Experience Cooperative (Ung Hoa), Hong Van Cooperative (Thuong Tin).
Assessing the benefits of developing agricultural and rural services, Dr. Nguyen Tien Dinh (Department of Economic Cooperation and Rural Development - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) stated that the rural tourism model not only brings livelihoods to farmers but also contributes to preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, ecological landscapes and environments, supporting the development of tourist destinations.
Despite its economic benefits, according to experts, this type of tourism is still spontaneous, fragmented, and small-scale, mainly exploiting existing products, and has not created cultural uniqueness and product added value. The reason is the lack of specific planning, mechanisms, and policies to support the development of this field.
In addition, infrastructure and supporting facilities have not been fully invested and are of low quality. Many destinations have difficulty connecting with travel agencies to complete and build products and attract tourists.
To overcome the shortcomings in the development of this type of tourism, management agencies need to develop policies and mechanisms to support people and businesses in investing, building and exploiting destinations. Experts and tourism businesses believe that the state should have mechanisms and policies to encourage travel businesses to bring tourists to rural areas, as well as invest in developing transport infrastructure, waste collection and treatment facilities. In addition, the tourism industry needs to develop a set of standards to recognize and evaluate the quality of typical tourism products and services in rural areas, thereby unifying management methods; promoting international economic cooperation to mobilize foreign investment in infrastructure.
In response to comments from experts and businesses, Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang informed that the Hanoi Party Committee has issued Program No. 04-CTr/TU dated March 17, 2021 on promoting the effective implementation of the National Target Program "Building new rural areas associated with restructuring the agricultural sector and developing the rural economy, improving the material and spiritual life of farmers in the period 2021-2025". In which, it has oriented the exploitation and highlighting of the unique characteristics of agricultural and rural tourism in the tourism development of the capital and the whole country. The city has also directed and encouraged organizations and individuals to continue to create new and unique products on the basis of focusing on the strengths of the locality.
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