Dong Thap Province in Vietnam is focusing on the development of agricultural tourism to harness its potential and boost income for farmers. With its rivers, canals, expansive rice fields, and fruit orchards, the province possesses ideal conditions for the growth of agricultural tourism.
Le Quang Bieu, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Dong Thap, highlighted the province’s abundant agricultural products, friendly farmers, rich historical and cultural heritage, and distinct southern cuisine as advantages for the development of community-based and agricultural tourism. Currently, the province boasts 72 tourism destinations associated with agriculture and craft villages.
Between 2016 and 2022, Dong Thap’s agricultural tourism attracted over 4.3 million tourists and generated total revenue of 519 billion VND (around 22 million USD). Sa Dec, one of the cities in the province, alone welcomed 3.6 million tourists during this period, including 150,000 international visitors.
Sa Dec is renowned for its flower village, which stands as one of the province’s most popular agricultural tourism destinations. The village is home to 1,968 households cultivating a total area of 313 hectares for flowers and ornamental plants. The village’s produce is not only sold in the Mekong Delta region and Ho Chi Minh City but also exported to neighboring Cambodia.
Dong Thap, boasting the largest lotus growing area in the Mekong Delta, has recently been promoting tourism services in its lotus fields, particularly in Thap Muoi district. Visitors can partake in boat rides to observe lotus flowers, go fishing, and savor lotus-related dishes. The tourism model in which five households in Thap Muoi district initially offered services in their lotus fields has now expanded to involve numerous local lotus growers. According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the district’s lotus fields attract over 10,000 visitors every month.
Lai Vung district is known for its special pink mandarin orchards and draws numerous visitors during the harvest season before Tet, the Lunar New Year, which falls between December and February. The district has been nurturing these fruit trees for almost a century and currently possesses around 250 hectares of pink mandarin orchards. The orchards showcase stunning beauty during the harvest season.
In addition to lotus fields and pink mandarin orchards, Dong Thap has also developed tourism services in mango, dragon fruit, and other fruit orchards. For instance, Tran Phu Hau’s mango orchard in My Xuong commune, Cao Lanh district, has been officially welcoming tourists since 2022, tapping into the trend of green agricultural and community-based tourism. Visitors to My Xuong tourism village get to experience the life of a farmer while relishing delicious fruits and other agricultural products.
To foster the growth of agricultural tourism, Dong Thap Province has implemented various measures such as organizing advertising activities and festivals. The recent Mango Festival 2023, held from April 28 to May 1, attracted approximately 150,000 visitors. Dong Thap is the largest mango-producing province in the Mekong Delta, with over 14,000 hectares of mango cultivation.
By capitalizing on the province’s natural resources and cultural heritage, Dong Thap aims to establish itself as a prominent destination for agricultural tourism. Through sustainable development practices, the province hopes to enhance the livelihoods of farmers and contribute to the overall economic growth of the region.
