Agro-tourism and its potential for development.

With its cool climate, fertile land, and abundant produce, the Lam Dong plateau region has seen a thriving agricultural tourism model, creating exciting and engaging journeys that closely connect with the lives of local people.

Successful startup with farm tourism.

After graduating from the Environmental Resources department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH), and accumulating capital and experience through work, Nguyen Ngoc Huy decided to return to his hometown to start a business.

Recognizing Lam Dong's potential and advantages in agricultural and tourism development, and the growing demand for diverse and abundant farm tourism, in 2022, Mr. Huy decided to invest in and build Phuong Van Farm on 14 hectares of land in Dong Gia Nghia ward, Lam Dong, with the goal of creating eco-tourism and experiential farm tourism for young people and families.

Phuong Van Farm is built on 14 hectares of land in Dong Gia Nghia ward, Lam Dong province, with the goal of promoting eco-tourism and experiential travel for young people and families.

Besides the existing coffee and pepper plants, Mr. Huy also grows fruit trees such as avocado, durian, mango, rambutan, guava, and plum... so that tourists can experience and enjoy them. Mr. Huy utilizes about 4 hectares of land and lake surface to grow flowers and vegetables, creating a space for sightseeing, recreation, fishing, entertainment, and dining for tourists. Flowers such as asters, daisies, marigolds, and peach blossoms are carefully tended, blooming in succession to create vibrant colors for the farm.

After a period of investment and systematic construction, Phuong Van Farm began operating to serve tourists and became known as an interesting "check-in" spot for young people, a space for fun, entertainment, and experiences for many visitors.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy, owner of Phuong Van Farm, hopes to create a space for visitors to experience agriculture, have fun, relax, and immerse themselves in nature.

Besides admiring the flowers and the beautiful scenery of the farm, visitors can also have fun and take photos with farm animals such as goats, sheep, and rabbits, or experience fishing, boating, and mountain biking. Combining leisure activities, enjoying coffee while admiring the view, or gathering for meals, conversations, and experiencing life as a farmer with family and friends creates a joyful memory for visitors to the farm.

Ms. Nguyen Hai Yen, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, shared: "My family came here for a travel experience and found it very enjoyable because of the fresh air and closeness to nature. My children got to experience planting and caring for vegetables, picking coffee, having a campfire to grill chicken… and learning about the local culture. This is a valuable and memorable experience for the whole family."

Along with experiential activities, the farm has built homestays to provide accommodation for guests. During holidays, festivals, and weekends, the farm organizes acoustic music nights, a local market, and folk games, creating a space for cultural exchange and experiencing local culture for visitors.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy, owner of Phuong Van Farm, visitors to the farm will have exciting and novel experiences, getting closer to nature, such as fishing, playing with farm animals, and enjoying safe food. The farm connects and organizes tours and agricultural experiences with the desire to diversify services for tourists, becoming an ideal destination for everyone.

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Agritourism is a model that combines agricultural production with tourism services, allowing visitors to tour, experience, and even directly participate in agricultural activities such as planting, harvesting, and processing agricultural products. This type of tourism is experiencing strong growth in many countries with developed agriculture, as well as in many localities in Vietnam.

Development trends

Agritourism is not simply about taking tourists to visit farms, but also about a journey of discovery, interaction, and immersion in the production life of farmers.

Tourists visit, experience, take photos, and enjoy lychees at the lychee orchard of Mr. Nguyen Van Nuoi in Truong Xuan commune, Lam Dong province.

Offering experiential value, agro-tourism opens up diverse economic development opportunities for rural people. Many farming households, whose income previously depended solely on seasonal crops, now have a stable source of income from tourism services such as selling garden entrance tickets, homestays, local cuisine, and handcrafted agricultural products, helping to "extend the value chain" of agricultural products.

Recognizing the great value and potential of developing agriculture combined with tourism in the locality, Ms. Bui Thi Khanh Hoa in Dong Gia Nghia ward decided to establish Dak Nong Clean Agriculture Joint Stock Company.

The company invests in planting coffee, pepper, bananas, macadamia nuts, durian, mangosteen, and a high-tech agricultural production area covering 22 hectares. The company also has 8 greenhouses, each with a capacity of 10,000 m², for growing cantaloupe, strawberries, various vegetables, fruits, flowers, and many specialty fruit trees that meet GlobalGAP standards.

Tourists visit and experience the organically grown cantaloupe garden at Dak Nong Clean Agriculture Joint Stock Company (photo: Thanh Nga)

The company's high-tech agricultural production area has become a popular tourist destination. In addition, Ms. Hoa has invested in raising pets to entertain visitors. Visitors can experience harvesting and caring for crops themselves, and discover and experience organic vegetable farming, a clean and environmentally friendly production model.

According to Ms. Bui Thi Khanh Hoa, Director of the Information Company, as living standards improve, many people are seeking genuine values ​​to care for their health and quality of life. Therefore, combining agriculture with experiential tourism is a good direction to serve people's needs. Tourists visiting my garden are very excited to experience the process of clean agricultural production, pick vegetables and fruits, and enjoy them right in the garden.

Agritourism is becoming a new development trend, helping to diversify tourism products, enhance the value of agricultural products, and create momentum for sustainable rural economic growth (Tourists visiting and experiencing the cocoa and chocolate processing process of Bazan Coffee Co., Ltd., Bac Gia Nghia Ward, Lam Dong Province).

Following the direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, agro-tourism is integrated into the sustainable agricultural development strategy for the period 2021-2030. Localities are developing agro-tourism zone plans that are suitable to the ecological conditions, culture, and distinctive products of each region.

Agritourism is a direction that helps enhance the value of agricultural products, develop the rural economy, and create unique tourism experiences rich in Vietnamese identity.

Particularly in Lam Dong province, to develop agro-tourism and farm tourism associated with the UNESCO Dak Nong Global Geopark, localities are stepping up propaganda to raise social awareness about tourism development. Besides building and developing eco-tourism and community-based tourism products linked to rural tourism development under the "One Commune, One Product" program, localities need to focus on developing the UNESCO Dak Nong Global Geopark into a national-level tourist area and an attractive destination for the region and internationally.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/du-lich-canh-nong-and-du-dia-phat-trien-380901.html