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| Hands-on experiences of making conical hats are the favorite of various foreign tourists |
Unlocking Multiple Values
About six months ago, at a tourism promotion event hosted by Thai Nguyen Province in Hue City, the story shared by tourism practitioners from the province did not begin with growth figures, but with… a cup of tea. It was an OCOP product, Thai Nguyen’s signature tea specialty. From the tea plant to the cup itself, they spoke of how the locality is integrating tourism with the promotion of its distinctive products and the experience of indigenous culture.
Renowned tea products are not only for visitors to enjoy, but have also become an integral part of the travel experience, from touring tea-growing areas and listening to stories about the craft, to directly taking part in processing stages and tea tasting. Well-known destinations across Thai Nguyen are thoughtfully incorporated into tour itineraries, allowing visitors to both explore and engage in. This effective approach not only enriches the visitor experience but also helps enhance the value of local agricultural products. In 2025, the northern mountainous province welcomed over 7.3 million visitors.
Adjacent to Hue, many OCOP producers in Da Nang have been actively rethinking their approach by integrating agriculture with experiential tourism. A case in point is the Go Noi Green Agriculture Cooperative (Danang City), which has developed a rural tourism model linked to the production of clean essential oils. Visitors are invited to explore raw material areas, learn about distillation processes, and even take part in certain production stages. This hands-on approach offers a highly engaging and convincing way to promote local products, helping to raise the value of agricultural produce, create new livelihood opportunities for local communities, and enrich the diversity of the destination’s tourism offerings.
In Hue, the idea of linking tourism products into packages has been discussed for many years. However, the creation of distinctive, well-connected tourism offerings with clear highlights remains a challenge. During a visit to Lang Co, we encountered a group of foreign visitors asking residents about experiential activities. They had quite interesting ideas in mind, including joining fishermen to harvest oysters in An Cu Lagoon, or learning how locals distill cajuput oil. Yet, after several inquiries, their plans ultimately fell through, as such experiences have yet to be organized into clearly defined tourism services.
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| Truoi tea brand and its specialty products, if integrated with tourism, could open up new development pathways for local products |
Enhancing the Appeal of Destinations and Product
On February 23, 2026, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed and issued Directive No. 06/CT-TTg, urging the implementation of key tasks following the Lunar New Year holiday. Accordingly, the tourism sector has been tasked with rolling out solutions to promote the linking of tourism products into packages, linking tourism activities with the promotion and consumption of OCOP products and local specialties, while also preserving and promoting cultural heritage values.
In recent years, alongside developing cultural and heritage tourism, the city has increasingly invested in other forms of tourism such as agricultural tourism, ecotourism, and community-based tourism. At present, 12 agricultural, ecological, and community tourism sites across the area have been officially recognized by the City’s People’s Committee. Several tourism products have also been certified as three-star OCOP, closely linked with eco-tourism and community-based destinations. In addition, the network of traditional craft villages, featuring culturally distinctive products such as Thanh Tien paper flowers, Sinh village folk paintings, conical hats, and various handicrafts, serves as an important resource for the development of experiential tourism.
However, many community-based tourism models in localities still face limitations in terms of professionalism. Director of the Department of Tourism Tran Thi Hoai Tram noted that skills in organizing tourism activities, foreign language proficiency, and the ability to tell cultural stories to visitors… among the problems that need improvement. In addition, promotional efforts have yet to be carried out regularly; most models remain small in scale; and linkages among destinations, craft villages, and OCOP products are not yet sufficiently strong, resulting in limited overall effectiveness.
In this context, developing integrated tourism packages is seen as a necessary direction. Instead of merely visiting destinations, tour programs can combine a range of experiences, including heritage exploration, craft village visits, local cuisine tasting, and shopping for regional specialties.
For instance, a travel itinerary could begin with a heritage tour, followed by hands-on experiences in craft villages, enjoying traditional cuisine, and concluding with the selection of OCOP products as souvenirs. This approach not only extends visitors’ length of stay but also adds value to the tourism service chain.
For these products to be effectively developed and operated, strong collaboration among multiple stakeholders is required, including tour operators, accommodation providers, craft villages, OCOP producers, and local authorities. Tour operators play a central role in curating tour programs and connecting with the market, while craft villages and OCOP producers deliver authentic experiences and distinctive local products. Meanwhile, local authorities provide support in terms of planning, infrastructure development, and promotional efforts. When these stakeholders are effectively integrated into a unified value chain, tourism not only generates benefits for the service sector but also contributes to preserving cultural heritage, enhancing the value of local products, and creating sustainable livelihoods for local communities.