OCOP-based tourism yields new development spaces for rural areas

The optimisation of OCOP products in tourism development is expected to create new development spaces, and raise competitiveness of both OCOP products and tourist destinations.

Therefore, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said each locality should invest more in product quality and packaging, and provide more information about materials, production and processing.

Tran Anh Thu, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, which is home to many specialties and handicrafts, said the locality will roll out more incentives to facilitate production and planning of material areas.

An Giang will also promote market access and build a number of OCOP models, toward developing special OCOP products, the official said, adding that strengths of craft villages will be utilised.  

Meanwhile, to create added value for OCOP products and tourism services, the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has enhanced its connectivity, duplicated effective models and opened more showrooms.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Doan Tan Buu affirmed that Dong Thap places importance on the products with high connectivity such as eco-leisure tourism, cultural tourism and agritourism in association with the OCOP programme.  

To make tourism development go in parallel with OCOP products, it requires agencies and sectors to coordinate with a common purpose in mind. It is also necessary to promote cultural values in rural tourism and new-style rural area building.

Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said his agency has partnered with units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and localities in building new rural areas in the 2021-2025 period, while preserving and upholding values of traditional culture sustainably and inclusively.

Dao Thi Diem Trang, a lecturer of Van Lang University, said not many people are interested in OCOP products as their cultural and humane values are yet to be highlighted.

Given this, there should be cultural and historical stories relating to the products to increase their attractiveness among tourists and consumers, she said.

(Source: VNA)