Rural innovation through tourism models.

Báo Thừa Thiên Huế•12/08/2023

Visiting Chay Lap Farmstay (Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province), we were quite surprised by the information provided by the manager. With 41 rooms, including 14 Farm rooms (unique floating houses), 11 Garden rooms with surrounding gardens creating a cool and airy atmosphere, and 16 Mountain rooms with stunning mountain views, most rooms are always booked in advance. Despite prices starting from over 1.1 million VND per night, and even 1.8 million VND or more, guests are still willing to spend money for a relaxing stay and unique experience, sometimes even booking well in advance.

Ms. Le Thi Hai Yen, Sales Director of Chay Lap Farmstay Resort, said that Chay Lap Farmstay particularly focuses on an experience-based accommodation model with complimentary services, including: daily breakfast; tea, coffee and drinks; 2 hours of cycling per guest per day; 1 hour of free kayaking per guest per day; swimming pool; fishing experiences; and 10% discount vouchers for water activities. Direct sales remain the advantage, attracting about 50% of customers, followed by online tour sales channels, websites, and connections with travel agencies. A key point to note is the need to develop this type of accommodation in line with customer trends and preferences. Thanks to this, repeat visits are common.

Not only Chay Lap Farstay, but many other destinations are also bustling with tourists, including Chay River - Dark Cave, OZO Park in Quang Binh… A special feature is that tourism operators here prioritize community participation linked to local cultural characteristics; tourist destinations rely on nature to create interesting experiences for visitors.

Based on models from neighboring provinces, representatives of businesses, homestay owners, tourism service cooperatives, and tourism businesses in Thua Thien Hue province believe that Thua Thien Hue also has great potential to develop rural agricultural tourism and OCOP tourism, similar to the models of neighboring provinces. However, in recent times, the effectiveness of these destinations has not met expectations, and some models have even failed.

Mr. Huynh Tan Phan, the owner of a farm in Duong Hoa commune, Huong Thuy town, shared: “Considering the scale of the area, the location, and related factors, it's clear that the locality may not be too inferior, and could even utilize the existing pomelo orchards to create check-in points and experiences. However, while peak months might welcome over 2,000 visitors per month, the current situation is experiencing a lack of visitors. The challenge remains attracting more visitors and ensuring sustainability. Only when the model attracts tourists will it create conditions for further investment. The example from Quang Binh shows that in Duong Hoa commune, we can develop camping models and organize more water-based activities.”

Learn how to do it effectively.

Thua Thien Hue possesses strengths in cultural heritage tourism and a diverse range of tourism resources. However, some tourism models also require investment and research to continue generating effectiveness. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Director of the Department of Tourism, in implementing the Provincial People's Committee's plan for the development of culture, tourism, and services in the province in 2023, the Department of Tourism organized survey and study programs on tourism models, including rural agricultural tourism and OCOP tourism. Sharing experiences in building, operating, managing, and developing agricultural tourism and OCOP tourism, as well as resolving procedural obstacles, will serve as a basis for tourism units, businesses, and households to research and apply them appropriately to their practical situations.

Given the common characteristics of tourism activities organized in rural areas, it is necessary to exploit the unique tourism resource values related to culture, lifestyle, and village traditions – linked to the agricultural production activities of rural communities; create more job opportunities, positively impact the lives of rural communities; and directly create a bridge connecting the production and supply of agricultural products and handicrafts from traditional craft villages.

According to experts, rural tourism utilizes the technical infrastructure of rural communities (villages, traditional houses), village cultural institutions (communal houses, temples, wells, etc.), traditional craft production facilities, and infrastructure (roads, electricity, water, telecommunications services, etc.) connected to the natural environment, cultural identity, and agricultural production activities of the local community. This is an area that the ancient capital's tourism industry can exploit.

The value chain in rural tourism must reach both direct beneficiaries (households engaged in tourism businesses, connecting enterprises) and indirect beneficiaries (farmers involved in supplying agricultural products for tourism, skilled and specialized individuals in creating products for rural tourism...). However, it requires the collaborative efforts of businesses and local people, from training staff and developing culinary menus to promoting and introducing tourism products and creating unique experiences.

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