Adding 'flavor' to tourism

QTO - Beyond just scenery, many destinations are defined by their inherent local values. In Quang Tri, the Khe Sanh plateau is facing a similar opportunity as coffee beans become a tourism experience, allowing visitors to touch, hear, taste, and understand the culture of the region.

By the end of 2025, the initial connections between the Khe Sanh Coffee Association and businesses under the Quang Tri Provincial Tourism Association are expected to create important beginnings, opening up a new direction for both sectors and adding a unique and impressive touch to local tourism.

The first steps

In August 2025, Khe Sanh coffee was selected as a souvenir gift for the SILAA film crew from India. This marked the beginning of field trips for tourism businesses to the coffee-growing region, allowing them to see firsthand the cultivation areas, production processes, and potential for developing coffee-related experiences.

Tourism businesses can learn about the story that Khe Sanh coffee tells, while coffee producers find opportunities to promote and expand their product market. From these initial surveys, the Khe Sanh Coffee Association and tourism businesses in Quang Tri have begun implementing activities to connect and introduce the product at tourist destinations in Dong Hoi ward, Phong Nha commune, and other areas.

Khe Sanh coffee products are beginning to appear in some tourist destinations, following tourists further afield, embarking on a journey beyond the local area and reaching larger tourism markets in the region. Tourists participating in experiential tours organized by Oxalis Co., Ltd., Samuer Co., Ltd., etc., have had the opportunity to enjoy Khe Sanh coffee amidst pristine natural surroundings, thereby enhancing the emotional depth of their exploration journey.

Tourists participating in tours organized by Oxalis Co., Ltd. enjoy Khe Sanh coffee amidst pristine natural surroundings - Photo: OXALIS ADVENTURE

According to Mr. Tran Thai Thien, Chairman of the Khe Sanh Coffee Association, the association has also submitted a proposal to the Provincial Tourism Promotion Center regarding the cooperation, management, and operation of the service space at the Tourist Information and Support Center in Phong Nha-Ke Bang. The core objective of this collaboration is not just selling coffee, but building a professional, modern space for experiencing coffee, agricultural products, and tourism, associated with the image of Quang Tri as a friendly and sustainable destination.

At the Phong Nha-Ke Bang Tourist Information and Support Center, Khe Sanh coffee will not stand alone, but will be placed within the overall narrative of local agriculture, typical OCOP products, and community-based tourism and agricultural tourism tours. This approach demonstrates a fresh perspective of bringing agricultural products closer to tourists, instead of waiting for tourists to seek out the raw material areas.

This also represents a shift from selling products to selling experiences. The coffee experience space will also serve as a hub for tourism information, showcasing tours, local products, and utilizing digital transformation applications to assist tourists in searching for and booking services—an approach aligned with modern tourism trends.

Mr. Thien believes that what Khe Sanh coffee is lacking is not quality, but rather a storytelling space and a supportive ecosystem.

“Khe Sanh coffee already has a geographical indication, a 5-star OCOP product, and awards, but if we only focus on production and retail, the added value will remain limited. Tourism is the shortest way to bring coffee beans closer to customers,” Thien further shared.

What do tourism businesses gain?

Entering the tourism sector will be a way for Khe Sanh coffee to expand its market, but conversely, tourism businesses and cooperatives will also benefit. Khe Sanh coffee, with its story of climate, soil, history, and people, is a highly attractive "local content," a compelling tourism narrative—something many tourism businesses lack when developing products. Instead of having to create from scratch, tourism businesses can leverage coffee to design tours, build experiences, develop souvenirs, and offer supplementary services.

More importantly, this collaboration helps Quang Tri tourism avoid the monotony of destinations, creating a distinct identity. After all, collaboration isn't about someone replacing someone else, but about each side doing their part better, all within a shared narrative.

As one of the pioneers in introducing Khe Sanh coffee products to tourists on tours, Mr. Tran Xuan Cuong, Director of Samuer Co., Ltd., believes that Khe Sanh coffee has a story deep enough to become an experiential product. For tourism businesses, this is not simply a souvenir, but a "content material" that enhances the value of tours and creates an emotional impression for tourists. When tourists carry a package of coffee and experience its rich flavor, they simultaneously carry memories of the land they have visited, something that not all souvenirs can offer.

Signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in developing tourism products associated with Khe Sanh coffee - Photo: DH

In reality, many tours in Quang Tri currently focus heavily on sightseeing, while the experiential, interactive, and product consumption aspects remain quite weak. Tourists visiting Quang Tri's landmarks only stop at taking photos, learning about the culture and history, and then leave, without truly "staying" with the land through their senses.

Connecting tourism businesses with Khe Sanh coffee will help transform this highland specialty from a mere consumer product during tours into a unique tourist souvenir, bearing the distinctive mark of the destination.

According to Mr. Thien, the Khe Sanh Coffee Association aims to have its coffee products present in 30% of restaurants, hotels, and tourist destinations in Quang Tri by 2026.

“When Khe Sanh coffee becomes a familiar choice for tourists on their journey to Quang Tri, the brand's reach will increase significantly. This is not only a step forward in domestic promotion but also a foundation for us to reach the international market, especially through tours with a large number of foreign tourists,” Thien expects.

Of course, for expectations to become a reality, more than just policy consensus is needed. It's a matter of mechanisms, coordination between sectors, and operational capacity in practice.

In the context of Quang Tri's tourism industry seeking new pillars for breakthroughs, Khe Sanh coffee beans could absolutely become a "soft ambassador," bringing the image of this region closer to domestic and international tourists. And then, each cup of coffee would not simply offer the familiar bitterness and sweetness, but would tell a longer story about Khe Sanh, about Quang Tri, and about how this region develops tourism based on its authentic and inherent qualities.

Dieu Huong

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/du-lich/202601/them-vi-cho-du-lich-2952d7b/