Con Cuong promotes the development of OCOP products associated with tourism

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Con Cuong is a mountainous district in the western part of Nghe An, blessed with spectacular scenery and picturesque landscapes. In addition, Con Cuong also has many ancient Thai villages, preserving intact traditional cultural identities. In these villages, many attractive traditional crafts such as brocade weaving, bamboo and rattan weaving, and the production of fermented rice wine, purple sticky rice, and can wine are still maintained.

Con Cuong has amazing scenery and beautiful mountains and rivers. Photo: Thanh Cuong

With advantages in terms of landscape and unique cultural and historical values, from 2012 onwards, Con Cuong has promoted development.tourismEcotourism, community tourism, agricultural tourism. Through that, the locality has attracted many domestic and foreign tourists to visit and relax (each year attracting from 30-40 thousand tourists). Con Cuong has also gradually become a prominent destination on the tourist map of Nghe An and the North Central region.

Besides the achievements, Con Cuong tourism still has many limitations. One of them is that the efficiency and economic value from tourism are not high. The district has many unique traditional agricultural and non-agricultural products such as: brocade weaving, bamboo handicrafts, rattan and bamboo weaving, fermented leaf wine, jar wine, oranges, orange jam, fresh vegetables, cuisine... or markets, community tourism. However, these products have not become tourism "gifts" and have not been widely purchased or used by tourists.

Con Cuong people preserve traditional weaving. Photo: Canh Hung

Recently, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 490/QD-TTg approving the One Commune One Product Program for the period 2018-2020 (abbreviated as the OCOP Program). The program is a premise for the formation and improvement of the quality and value of advantageous agricultural, non-agricultural and service products in each locality, including tourism products.

Realizing that the policy of supporting the development of OCOP products will be a favorable condition for localities to standardize production processes, improve the quality of traditional products to become commodities and tourism products. Developing OCOP products will contribute to preserving national cultural identity, giving wings to tourism, creating jobs and sustainable income as well as improving people's lives. And vice versa, tourism products completed into OCOP products will promote and attract tourists to the locality.

Gong festival in Nua village, Yen Khe commune. Photo: Document

From this awareness, Con Cuong district has proactively developed products.OCOPassociated with "smokeless industry". The district has coordinated with relevant levels, sectors and units to guide and support communes/towns, enterprises, cooperatives and individuals in the area to start building OCOP products on the basis of perfecting existing tourism products. The key support contents are to raise awareness for production and service business units; training to improve knowledge and skills; support resources according to regulations; support to perfect related legal documents.

To build OCOP tourism products, Con Cuong conducts orientation and selection of products in a focused and key manner, based on criteria such as product consumption potential, sustainability when operating in the consumer market, product spread and contribution to the community. The district sets out a specific plan and roadmap to build products, not to do it in bulk, to do each one with quality. During this process, the State will support OCOP subjects in certain stages, especially product promotion.

Brocade weaving in Xieng village, Mon Son commune. Photo: Canh Hung

The construction, standardization, and improvement of the quality of tourism products into OCOP tourism products have brought about good results. For example, the community tourism product of Xieng village (Mon Son commune) was formed in 2012, operating in the form of a service team. When building OCOP, the Mon Son Commune Agricultural - Community Tourism Cooperative was established to operate, do business, and provide community tourism services in Xieng village. Mr. Vi Van Tu - Director of this Cooperative shared: When the cooperative took the lead in coordinating, tourism activities here became more methodical and professional, and tour and route services were also more connected.

The cooperative has implemented culinary service packages (traditional dishes of the Thai people); accommodation (overnight stay in stilt houses); boating experiences on the Giang River, brocade weaving, cultural exchanges, drinking rice wine... The above services are organized based on traditional identity elements combined with responsible and creative tourism elements. The quality of tourist services is increasingly improved, so Xieng village community tourism has attracted 1,000-2,000 visitors each year. Thereby, it has created jobs and increased income for many households in the village.

OCOP helps tourism take off

Community tourism model in Khe Ran village, Bong Khe commune. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Information from the People's Committee of Con Cuong district: In the past 5 years, the district has worked hard to build 7 OCOP products that are ranked 4 stars, including: Community tourism model in Khe Ran village, Bong Khe commune; Community tourism model in Nua village, Yen Khe commune; Gymnema sylvestre and Solanum procumbens products of Pu Mat Medicinal Materials Joint Stock Company; Le Dong fermented wine; Chau Lien fermented wine; Thao My purple sticky rice wine... and 16 products that have achieved 3 stars.

It is worth noting that all OCOP products associated with Con Cuong's tourism development have been promoted and introduced when completed; accepted by customers, and consumed in good quantities. Ms. Vi Thi Tham - Director of Tay Nghe Tourism Coordination Center commented: OCOP products are displayed and introduced quite densely throughout the district, as well as at accommodation and tourist areas. At each of these locations, there are sales staff who understand and are ready to introduce local OCOP products in detail. Con Cuong district is very willing to participate in product displays and introductions. Con Cuong officials and people trust and use and participate in promoting OCOP products associated with local tourism development. Enterprises and individuals themselves are active and proactive in promoting and developing markets for their products.

The store introducing OCOP products and local specialties of Cay Con Chi Khe Cooperative was built with support from the Provincial and Con Cuong District Cooperative Union. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

However, it must be said that, like many OCOP products in Nghe An, the construction and development of OCOP products associated with tourism development in Con Cuong also has many limitations and difficulties, such as: Small production scale, mainly manual production, outdated technology, lack of investment capital; not paying attention to design, model, packaging has not been innovated, types of certificates. There are few products with registered trademarks and intellectual property... Products are subject to fierce competition in the market.

In order for OCOP products and Con Cuong tourism to develop and take off together, it is clear that OCOP product owners in Con Cuong need to constantly improve product quality by modernizing and promoting the application of science and technology at all stages to improve and increase productivity. "Breathe life" into products with unique local cultural and spiritual values. Bring products into the experience value chain; focus on ways to promote, introduce, promote and offer incentives for products. Need to put their products on e-commerce platforms. Strengthen joint ventures with tourism businesses.

Gymnema sylvestre and Solanum procumbens products of Pu Mat Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company. Photo: Thu Huyen

Clearly identifying the advantages and disadvantages of OCOP products associated with local tourism development, Con Cuong district has created conditions for OCOP product owners to bring their products to local tourist destinations for promotion and business. At the same time, Con Cuong district has conducted a survey on the support needs of registered product owners in the area and is focusing on supporting, perfecting, and developing to obtain various types of certification. To support the improvement of product quality, Con Cuong has coordinated with relevant sectors to support the improvement of production methods applying science and technology. In addition, Con Cuong has also actively accompanied OCOP product owners associated with tourism development to find outlets for their products.

Mr. Luong Dinh Viet - Permanent Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Cuong district affirmed: Although it is a mountainous district with many difficulties, with the high determination of the District Party Committee, the District People's Committee and OCOP subjects have been creating turning points for the process of economic restructuring, gradually changing the mindset, turning the potentials and advantages from the mountains and forests into products to supply the market, creating jobs for workers, increasing income for subjects and workers, contributing to speeding up the implementation of the National Target Program on new rural construction in the district... In the coming time, Con Cuong will continue to promote tourism development associated with OCOP products to enhance value, exploit full potential, contributing to helping people get rich right in their own villages and hamlets.

Thanh Chung - Ba Hau