Linking agricultural tourism with consumption of agricultural products and OCOP products

The organizing committee chaired the forum "Developing agricultural and rural tourism associated with the consumption of agricultural specialties and OCOP products".

The forum was attended by representatives of leaders of provinces and cities; Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of localities with more than 200 direct attendees and nearly 500 online bridges representing businesses participating in the "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) Program, cooperatives, experts, scientists , travel businesses, managers in the agricultural sector, households, and artisans.

Speaking at the forum, President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Ho Chi Minh City National University Ngo Thi Phuong Lan said that agriculture is no longer simply about what to plant and what to raise, but needs to be oriented to create new values, in line with new trends. Linking tourism with agricultural development is not new, but we need to find a way to make tourism more humane, green and ecological.

According to Ms. Lan, one of the current trends is developing agricultural tourism. Because this is a sustainable solution, helping farmers increase their income on their own fields, while also adding consumption of agricultural specialties, especially OCOP products. Regarding agriculture, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has more than 90 cooperation topics, of which more than 50 programs are for the Mekong Delta. Some typical topics are developing smart tourism in Binh Duong.

Mr. Phuong Dinh Anh, Deputy Chief of the Central Office for New Rural Development Coordination, said that the OCOP “One Commune One Product” Program, launched in 2018, has aroused the potential of land, products, comparative advantages, especially regional cultural values. Many OCOP products act as “ambassadors” to convey humanistic product stories of the region, contributing to promoting the direction of livelihood development in difficult areas and vulnerable groups such as ethnic minorities and women.

Mr. Dinh Anh believes that developing OCOP products and developing rural tourism have an “organic” relationship. OCOP products are the resources for building rural tourism products. In the opposite direction, rural tourism is the space for developing OCOP products.

From the perspective of a travel agent, Ms. Phan Yen Ly, Director of Canh Cam Consulting, Communications and Events Company, said that currently, Vietnam's agricultural and rural tourism is developing but not in the right direction and is not sustainable. Accordingly, Vietnam's agricultural and rural tourism needs to promote changes in the mindset of the subjects participating in building and implementing agricultural and rural tourism activities to serve tourists. How can farmers, cooperatives and farms want to do tourism even when agricultural, forestry and fishery products are consumed well, when the agricultural economy is successful and travel businesses join hands and accompany rural destinations in doing tourism?

In his concluding remarks at the forum, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam informed that implementing Decision No. 922 issued by the Prime Minister on rural tourism development associated with new rural construction in the 2021-2025 period, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has implemented programs to promote and support the development of agricultural and rural tourism products.

In addition, the Ministry also piloted a number of rural tourism development models according to the following types: Community tourism, agricultural tourism, eco-tourism, tourism associated with nature conservation, craft village tourism, smart tourism villages, zero-emission tourism, etc.

Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam presented practical lessons showing that combining the development of agricultural and rural tourism with the consumption of agricultural specialties and OCOP products is one of the key solutions and tasks to unleash the potential and advantages of rural areas while also developing community tourism, while diversifying rural service industries to increase farmers' income... contributing to the development of the rural economy, building new rural areas in depth, effectively and sustainably.

“The Organizing Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development would like to receive recommendations and contributions from delegates, localities and businesses so that in the future there will be steps to evaluate, review and complete, supplement more fully the mechanisms, policies, and resources to encourage and facilitate agricultural and rural tourism to spread strongly and develop sustainably,” Mr. Tran Thanh Nam emphasized.

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