Developing OCOP products associated with tourism

Quang Ninh province is promoting the development and connection of OCOP products with tourism development. This contributes to positioning destinations, enhancing the experience for tourists and promoting, consuming and enhancing the value of OCOP products.

Phát triển sản phẩm OCOP gắn với du lịch — *Tourists visit and shop at My Ngoc store of Ha Long Pearl Joint Stock Company in Don Dien area, Ha Khau ward (Ha Long city).*

Quang Ninh is promoting its advantages, strongly developing the tourism industry and considering it a driving force for development. Every year, the province welcomes millions of domestic and international tourists to experience. This can be an effective channel for promoting and introducing the province's OCOP products. According to the Provincial New Rural Area Coordination Office, through tourism activities and tourists, OCOP products will be spread to many places. On the contrary, OCOP products are the source and promote the unique values to attract tourists to the locality. Therefore, promoting the development of OCOP products associated with tourism development is the right direction and OCOP products can completely become "tourism ambassadors" to increase attractiveness to tourists. Ms. Nguyen Thuy Huong, Director of Ha Long Pearl Joint Stock Company, said: Ha Long Pearl has 3 products certified as 5-star national OCOP. The products are manufactured and completed according to a strict process to create the best quality and most beautiful products for customers. Currently, in addition to consumption through official channels and online sales, the Company's products are also displayed and introduced to tourists at the Company's product display and introduction area and through many tourism activities and fairs of the province. Promoting the association of OCOP products with tourism development will truly be a consumption channel, expanding the market and helping Quang Ninh's OCOP products to reach further. And in fact, up to now, many of the Company's pearl products have been favored and chosen by domestic and foreign tourists. During the trip to explore the potential for Halal industry development in Quang Ninh in October 2024, the delegation attending the National Halal Conference also visited a number of OCOP product production and business establishments with potential in developing the Halal industry. Mr. Eng. Moteb Al-Mezani, Chairman of the Halal Certification Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) shared: Through information research, Quang Ninh has many typical OCOP products that are very rich and diverse in many fields such as: Agricultural products, food, jewelry... The products are all beautiful, eye-catching and very suitable for developing the Halal industry as well as creating highlights for tourists. I am very impressed with the typical products of Quang Ninh. According to the Department of Tourism, in the first 10 months of 2024 alone, Quang Ninh welcomed over 16.7 million tourists, an increase of 20% over the same period last year, including over 3 million international visitors. Total revenue from tourism is over 40,100 billion VND, an increase of 38% over the same period in 2023. This is a positive number and a good sign for the tourism industry. This also shows that developing OCOP product connections associated with tourism development is a completely reasonable direction, because each OCOP product creates its own characteristics of a specific locality, expressing the traditions, customs, and living habits of the people to send to tourists. From there, creating an identity for the destination, increasing product value, and at the same time developing local tourism products.

Currently, Quang Ninh has developed 339 OCOP products of 13 localities with 3-5 stars, with 293 3-star products, 93 4-star products and 4 5-star products; there are 218 OCOP product producers, with 55 enterprises, 89 cooperatives, 74 production households. Most of the products that have been awarded stars continue to develop strongly, maintain and improve food safety and quality standards; 100% of 3-5 star OCOP products are put on the e-commerce platform https://www.ocopquangninh.com.vn; packaging and labels are gradually improved, upgraded and printed with full information according to regulations. Currently, many OCOP products of the province have expanded their consumption markets thanks to their association with tourism development such as: Ha Long Pearl; Quy Hoa Golden Flower Tea; Oyster floss, BAVABI shrimp floss... To continue developing OCOP products, meeting market demand and customer tastes, the province is continuing to promote the development and standardization of OCOP products, contributing to promoting the restructuring of the agricultural sector, developing production towards concentrated goods, building brands, increasing product value, and expanding the consumption market. The province also promotes training and education on knowledge and skills in market development for OCOP entities; supporting and orienting on packaging, labels, design, and forming typical OCOP product lines associated with local history and culture. At the same time, strengthen the survey and expansion of agricultural tourism types, build tours and routes to bring tourists to experience, visit, and shop right at the production facilities and places where OCOP products are displayed, in order to create uniqueness, novelty, and attract tourists. Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/4/167976/phat-trien-san-pham-ocop-gan-voi-du-lich