In reality, the potential for rural tourism development in localities is very high and has become a common development trend across regions. However, to develop tourism effectively and make a positive contribution to the New Rural Development program, many challenges still remain.

Promoting local cultural values

Illustrative image.

Chieng Chau Commune (Mai Chau District, Hoa Binh Province) is the cultural cradle of the Thai ethnic minority people. In 2009, Vi Thi Oanh, along with several Party members, established the Chieng Chau Brocade Weaving and Tourism Services Cooperative.

With support from artisans, local authorities, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the traditional craft of brocade weaving has gradually been restored and vigorously developed. The cooperative’s handmade woven products are now exported to several countries and territories.

According to Ms Oanh, the cooperative has partnered with tour operators to organise cultural discovery and experience tours, featuring traditional brocade weaving.

As a result, cooperative members now earn an additional 5–6 million VND per person per month. Mai Chau District Deputy Secretary Ha Cong Nghi emphasised that preserving and promoting ethnic and cultural identity plays a vital role in achieving the district’s socio-economic goals.

The district has identified community-based and cultural tourism as a key development direction.

Sa Dec Flower Village (Sa Dec City, Dong Thap Province) is another example of transforming local cultural values into distinctive tourism products.

Known as a traditional craft village with over 100 years of history, Sa Dec is the largest supplier of flowers and ornamental plants in the Mekong Delta. It also represents the riverine culture of the southwestern region, attracting domestic and international tourists.

Tran Van Tiep, who has been growing flowers and ornamental plants for over 40 years, shared local florists strive to innovate to keep pace with modern trends.

Many new flower varieties have been cultivated while retaining the traditional trellis-growing method. hallmark of the village. Modern and Well-equipped homes have been built from income generated through flower cultivation.

Flower artisans continue to create artistic products and promote the image of the gentle, hospitable people of Sa Dec, fostering pride and awareness of preserving traditional cultural heritage.

Sa Dec also boasts numerous experiential tourism models. Flower-growing households collaborate with travel companies to offer eco-garden and cultural tourism tours, further promoting the local agricultural brand, boosting incomes, and reshaping agricultural business mindsets.

Authorities in Sa Dec City and Dong Thap Province are concentrating investment on improving transport infrastructure and supporting residents and cooperatives through professional tourism training to sustainably develop agricultural tourism.

Diversifying tourism models

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has guided localities in raising awareness and transforming mindsets regarding rural and agricultural tourism development.

It has also instructed the development of models suited to each locality’s strengths and advantages. The goal is for each province or city to have at least one recognised exemplary rural tourism site by 2025, associated with agricultural, cultural, craft village, or ecological advantages.

Preliminary data shows over 584 agricultural and rural tourism models are currently in operation nationwide, concentrated mainly in the northern mountainous region and the Mekong Delta.

There are 382 recognised rural tourism sites at the provincial level: 11.3% focus on agriculture and craft villages, 21.2% on community-based tourism, 21.7% on eco-tourism, and the remainder on historical sites, accommodation, and commercial services.

According to Ngo Truong Son, Chief of the Central Coordination Office for NRD, efforts to provide training and capacity-building have been scaled up to shift perceptions about the role of rural tourism in new-style rural development.

In 21 provinces and cities, 83 training courses have been held, reaching 4,964 participants, including local tourism managers and business owners, notably in Hanoi, Ha Giang, Bac Giang, Hung Yen, and An Giang.

Vo Ngoc Kien, Head of Hoa Binh Provincial Party Committee Comission on Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation, said the province aims to preserve and promote ethnic and cultural identities while building a modern local identity, contributing to unique tourism products.

The province views the preservation of the cultural identities of ethnic communities and the conservation of relics and artefacts of Hoa Binh culture as key to creating a sustainable tourism environment and developing unique, attractive tourism products. This will help improve quality and competitiveness in national and international tourism markets.

In practice, for agricultural and rural tourism to become a breakthrough component of the NRD Programme for 2026–2030, localities must intensify regional linkages to jointly capitalise on their distinctive agro-product chains and cultural values.

Both short- and long-term tourism development plans must be created. This is a strategic task to unlock the potential of the agricultural economy and the strength of cultural identity. It will serve as a crucial internal resource for enhancing the quality of rural development during the 2026–2030 period.