In Hong Dan and Phuoc Long districts north of National Highway No. 1A, the province is focusing on the development of agricultural and rural tourism on the river and canal network in these districts which offers potential for river tours, helping take tourists to mat weaving and bamboo product weaving craft villages.

In the south of the highway, particularly in Hoa Binh and Dong Hai districts, the province is nurturing community-based tourism related to longan orchards and traditional occupations such as salt-making.

One of the country’s largest producers, Bac Lieu is also renowned for the deliciousness of its salt, making the occupation a distinctive tourism product.

Ngo Kieu Oanh, an expert in agricultural and rural tourism, said the occupation was a speciality tourism product, and the province should build a museum to showcase it to help develop tourism.

Despite facing challenges like insufficient infrastructure and low public awareness, the province remains committed to developing agricultural and rural tourism.

To achieve this effectively, experts emphasise the need for increased advocacy activities targeting local officials, tourism service providers, the community, and tourists.

Agricultural and rural tourism development in conjunction with policies for building new-style rural areas should be a strategic focus, they say.

Tran Thi Lan Phuong, director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, underscored the vast and diverse potential for developing agricultural and rural tourism in Bac Lieu, highlighting its importance in the province’s plan to exploit and develop tourism products in tandem with building new-style rural areas.

Duy referred to local efforts to encourage farmers to convert mixed gardens into fruit orchards, switch to cultivating clean vegetables and ornamental plants, and establish farm economy models for eco-, craft village and orchard tourism.

Phuong Van Si in Bac Lieu City’s Vinh Trach Dong Commune offers tourism services at his jujube orchard, selling the fruits at a 20-30 per cent premium over market prices.

Since he uses nets to protect the trees from pests and avoids using pesticides, the jujubes are clean and highly sought after by consumers.

“My family orchard regularly has tourists and they buy and eat the fruit [right there].”

The province is actively promoting the development of fruit orchards, including ancient longan orchards stretching seven kilometres along Provincial Road No. 38 in Bac Lieu City’s Hiep Thanh and Vinh Trach Dong communes.

These orchards boast trees aged over 100 years, making them a unique attraction in the delta.

The province has completed the first phase of a project to conserve ancient Longan orchards in the two communes and covered 1,110 trees.

It has progressed to the second phase which will cover another 339 trees.

With its average annual growth of 15 % in tourist numbers in recent years, the province received an estimated 4.2 million visitors in 2023 and generated revenues of VND3.9 trillion (US$160 million).

This places it in the fourth position in the delta. 

Viet Nam News

Asia News Network