Open direction for rural tourism

(Baonghean) - In the world, agricultural tourism has been formed and developed in many countries since the 80s and 90s of the last century. This is a very effective form of exporting agricultural products on the spot, at the same time introducing to visitors the beauty of labor, the richness of culture and humanity of farmers in each country, region and area. In Vietnam, agricultural tourism is also exploited by many provinces and cities to serve tourists. Our province has rich potential to develop this type of tourism but is wasting it...

Rice planting competition in Quy Chau. Photo: Tran Ngoc Lan

Nghe An has a favorable geographical location for air, road and waterway, and is also one of the important gateways of the East-West economic corridor connecting Myanmar - Thailand - Laos - Vietnam with the East Sea through the Nam Can and Thanh Thuy border gates. Nghe An has an area of ​​16,648.9 km2, 2/3 of the province's area is mountainous, of which agricultural land accounts for over 60% of the province's area, concentrated in the plains, midlands and mountains. The rural areas of Nghe An province have diverse and pristine natural resources, with many relics, scenic spots, unique customs and practices, 2/3 of the festivals are concentrated in this area, especially valuable intangible cultural heritages, notably the Vi and Giam folk songs - Representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, which have been formed in the daily life of Nghe An farmers. With 70% of the population living in rural areas. The proportion of agricultural, forestry and fishery workers in the total social workforce accounts for about 60%. However, the proportion of agriculture, forestry and fishery only accounts for about 25% in the economic structure of the province. Workers in the agricultural sector have a lower average income than those in other occupations.

It can be said that Nghe An has favorable conditions to develop rural tourism, contributing to hunger eradication, poverty reduction, increasing income for people, improving social security, and shifting the local economic structure. Exploiting and developing rural tourism not only brings profits to tourism businesses but also creates jobs and income for local people, while contributing to preserving and promoting national cultural identity. However, at present, we are wasting a lot of agricultural products that can be exploited into unique tourism products, extending the stay of visitors.

Sunflower season in Nghia Dan. Photo: Phan Van Toan

So what is the solution to develop rural tourism from the perspective of sustainable development of ecological regions associated with culture, society and environment in Nghe An province?

First of all, it is necessary to change the perspective on rural tourism, considering rural tourism as an important direction in the national target program on new rural construction, attracting rural development capital to develop infrastructure, landscape, and environment for tourism.

In addition, there needs to be active participation from many levels, many organizations and unions: People's Committees at all levels play an important role in orienting local tourism development through the Department of Tourism, the Tourism Office, the Tourism Development Support Board and the Cooperative Alliance with specific programs and plans. Local authorities support private efforts (public-private partnership). The role of mass organizations such as the Women's Union and the Exemplary Farmers' Association is to take the lead in mobilizing community members to participate in tourism development.

In the current context, farmers need to do tourism independently, take action to promote the advantages and potential of the locality in terms of landscape and traditional cultural products. On the other hand, travel companies must actively organize and connect tours and routes; participate in propaganda, advertising, attracting tourists to visit, organize training for the community on experience, service style and foreign language training for them.

Traditional brocade weaving of the Thai ethnic people in Tan Thang commune (Quynh Luu). Photo: Tran To

In addition, cuisine is an important content to attract tourists in tourism in general and rural tourism in particular, so it is necessary to build and develop a system of tourist restaurants associated with tourist attractions. In addition to meeting market demand, it is necessary to develop on the basis of traditional dishes of the province such as: eel, Nam Nghia tamarind, Cau Don goat while ensuring food safety and hygiene; the service style also needs to develop in the direction of experiencing culinary culture. In addition to the quality of the dishes, restaurants also need to pay attention to the design and decoration according to the typical cultural space.

Rural tourism activities need to be closely linked to agricultural production activities, so it is necessary to restructure the local livestock and crop production (oranges, passion fruit, etc.), provide technical guidance to encourage people to produce their own agriculture. In particular, develop and preserve indigenous products to create local food supplies, reduce costs and create typical agricultural products of the region and process them into unique tourism products.

Strengthening the call for businesses to invest together with the State in infrastructure, technical facilities and tourism products in rural villages, facilitating the connection between villages and tourist attraction areas. Always innovate and create differences; strengthen vertical and horizontal connections to enrich products. Tourists visiting destinations can participate in the production process of products such as embroidery, brocade weaving, baking, cooking or participating in farming activities with local people. After that, there will be some small-scale trading activities, thereby helping to increase people's income while bringing colorful and rewarding experiences to tourists.

Clay pot making village in Tru Son commune (Do Luong). Photo: Tran Canh Yen

Travel companies need to cooperate with farmers to do tourism and need to have a suitable profit sharing mechanism to ensure benefits for the people; integrate programs (National target program on new rural construction), socio-economic development projects in remote areas, exploit tourism resources combined with hunger eradication and poverty reduction towards the principles and criteria for developing community-based tourism with practical significance.

At the same time, promote the role of state management to have planning and direct implementation according to the principle of tourism development associated with the protection of natural resources, environment and traditional culture...

With its available potential, Nghe An is fully capable of becoming an attractive rural tourism destination. Building a specific rural tourism program must be based on the basic content of a rural tourism program, the terrain features, typical landscapes of the destination, natural resources, people, traditional customs... and especially in the innovation of thinking, in the determination to implement of leaders and managers at all levels.

Thanh Nam