Tra Que, from the best tourist village boost

Tra Que vegetable village seen from above. Photo: HS

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It was not until the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) recognized Tra Que vegetable village as the “best tourist village” at the end of 2024 that it “stepped into the light”. This vegetable village can be considered the first agricultural and rural tourism destination in the province in the early 21st century.

The “one-day farmer” tour of Tra Que vegetable village at that time was a creative rural tourism product, extremely popular with international visitors. Thanks to that, Tra Que vegetable village is often cited as a typical example of rural tourism development nationwide.

However, after more than ten years, this destination began to fall into a recession. The reason, according to Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Trung Luong - former Deputy Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Training Association, is that any tourism product has a life cycle and if it is not innovated, it will inevitably fall into saturation and recession.

In the period 2015 - 2019, although most destinations in Hoi An had impressive growth, there were times when the number of visitors to Tra Que hit rock bottom. Realizing the risk of falling behind, in September 2019, Hoi An City People's Committee approved the plan "Developing community tourism in Tra Que vegetable village" to consolidate and improve the destination.

Since the beginning of 2020, the vegetable village tourist attraction has officially opened with a ticket price of 35,000 VND with many more unique experiences. Positive movements are gradually returning.

In 2023, Tra Que vegetable village will welcome more than 25,000 visitors and reach more than 30,000 visitors in 2024. Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ho Quang Buu said that welcoming 25-30,000 visitors per year to Tra Que vegetable village is quite large but is suitable for the capacity of this destination for sustainable development. What Tra Que needs is to position the appropriate target market to increase the economic value brought to the community and destination.

Receiving the title of “best tourist village” from UN Tourism can be considered a “sweet fruit”, a worthy reward for Tra Que’s efforts to adapt and renew its destination.

Foundation for the future

According to Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong, the selection of the title “best tourist village in the world” by UN Tourism is very strict. Therefore, the recognition of Tra Que vegetable village as the best tourist village will bring many positive effects to this destination.

Tra Que vegetable village currently attracts about 25 - 30 thousand visitors each year. Photo: HS

“However, being the best tourist village does not mean that Tra Que is a perfect tourist village. Being included in the network of the best tourist villages will help Tra Que have more references to continue to improve and develop sustainably according to world standards,” said Mr. Ho An Phong.

Mr. Dang Xuan Son - product and destination marketing expert of the Project "Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development in Vietnam" (ST4SD) said that, having become one of the "best tourist villages", it is necessary to continue to position Tra Que vegetable village in particular and Cam Ha tourism in general in the original direction - a destination with pristine and peaceful beauty. This beauty reflects both the breath of tradition and the foundation of long-term sustainable development.

“Around Tra Que vegetable village, some products have been initially established that are well received by tourists. However, it is necessary to add a network of sports tourism products on Tra Que lagoon, open an agricultural market, develop indigenous herbs, enhance agricultural experiences, create space for meditation activities, encourage the development of traditional homestays… and immediately stop the concretization of this destination,” said Mr. Dang Xuan Son.

The project “Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development in Vietnam” also selected Tra Que as a destination to support the development of agricultural tourism products and innovative initiatives. This helps Cam Ha in general and Tra Que vegetable village in particular have more foundations for sustainable development.

A natural and social “ecosystem” in this area is gradually forming a unique tourism value chain providing visitors with experiences in cultural activities, agriculture, craft villages, accommodation, cuisine, etc.

The effect of the UN Tourism’s “best tourist village” for Tra Que goes beyond a title. It will spread inspiration to other rural tourist destinations in Quang Nam and be the motivation for Tra Que to perfect itself for the next journey.

Tra Que is just the beginning. It would be wonderful if in the future, Quang Nam becomes an attractive destination with a network of unique tourist villages, leaving a strong impression on visitors…

Mr. Le Van Nhe, 63 years old (Tra Que village, Cam Ha commune) said that Tra Que vegetable village being honored as “the best tourist village” is a joy for the villagers. “Besides the title, what Tra Que village also really needs from the authorities is support to preserve and promote the village’s internal strength so that this craft village can survive.

In particular, the issue of environmental protection, specifically preserving the purity of underground water, is of great concern. Local authorities need to have a solution to strictly manage the discharge of waste from social and civil activities, especially from restaurants surrounding the village. The water source is the source of the characteristic flavor that has become the trademark of Tra Que vegetables.

The government also needs to research and support, and arrange for Tra Que villagers to have a reasonable space to trade vegetables around Hoi An market area. This will help people boost agricultural product consumption and create a unique cultural feature," said Mr. Le Van Nhe.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/tra-que-tu-cu-hich-lang-du-lich-tot-nhat-3147128.html