Strawberry farm tourism: a way to recover.

Every year, when strawberries ripen, many orchards in Long Thanh commune are bustling with visitors from near and far who come to explore and experience the rural atmosphere. However, in the last few years, the lively atmosphere has gradually subsided as the number of tourists has decreased sharply, causing many households involved in tourism to struggle due to declining income.

Every year, from around January to February in the lunar calendar, mulberry trees begin to bloom and enter their peak ripening season from May. This is also the time when orchard owners are busy cleaning, caring for the trees and fruits, and tidying up the grounds to welcome visitors and experience the rural atmosphere. However, in contrast to the bustling scene of previous mulberry seasons, many orchards are deserted this year. Tourists only come sporadically on weekends.

Officials from Long Thanh commune conduct a field survey at a strawberry garden in the area. Photo: THUY ANH

Recalling the period when strawberry garden tourism was booming, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu, the owner of a strawberry garden in Ben Nhut hamlet, said that at times, they welcomed about 500 visitors a day. Her family had to rent additional parking spaces and hire more staff to keep up with the demand. “Previously, visitors came and went continuously from morning to evening, especially during holidays when it was almost full. But in recent years, the number of visitors has decreased significantly; some days only a few groups come to visit,” Ms. Kieu shared.

According to Ms. Kieu, in addition to income from selling fruit, many households also earned significant income from entrance fees and food services. Now, with the decrease in tourists, revenue has fallen, and many households are struggling to maintain their orchard tourism model. Many other orchards in Long Thanh commune are facing a similar situation. Mr. Nguyen Van Banh had boldly invested in miniature landscapes, photo areas, and other facilities to serve tourists. However, with the decrease in visitors, maintenance and upgrading have become a major burden. "To retain tourists, we must constantly innovate. But with fewer visitors, many households no longer have the resources to invest further. Currently, most orchard owners have returned to selling fruit in the traditional way," Mr. Banh said.

Some residents of Long Thanh commune said that the strawberry garden tourism model had helped many households significantly improve their income. However, the tourism products are still quite monotonous, mainly limited to sightseeing, taking photos, and picking strawberries in the garden. Meanwhile, the trend of experiential tourism is changing, with many new destinations constantly appearing, causing the appeal of strawberry gardens to gradually decline. Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyen - a tourist from Can Tho City - said: "This model still has a lot of potential if properly invested in. Adding activities such as making traditional cakes, enjoying local specialties, or garden games would make it more attractive and encourage tourists to return many times."

Mr. Tran Quoc Ninh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Long Thanh commune, said that in recent years, tourism activities at strawberry gardens in the area have shown signs of slowing down. "Previously, during the April 30th holiday, we would welcome 2,000-3,000 tourists a day, but this year there are only a few hundred. However, the number of visitors hasn't decreased drastically; they are scattered and the visits last longer because the strawberries ripen later," Mr. Ninh said.

The leaders of Long Thanh commune acknowledge that the current strawberry garden tourism model mainly focuses on sightseeing and strawberry picking, lacking accompanying entertainment and recreational services, thus failing to retain tourists for repeat visits. In light of this, the People's Committee of the commune, in coordination with relevant departments, is conducting surveys and developing plans to support residents in renovating old strawberry gardens, upgrading infrastructure, concrete roads, and other supporting facilities for tourism. Simultaneously, the local authorities are planning to organize training courses to help residents gradually develop more systematic tourism practices, aiming towards eco-tourism combined with experiential and spiritual tourism.

THUY ANH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/du-lich-vuon-dau-tim-duong-hoi-suc-a486376.html