The first international conference on rural tourism organised by the United Nations Tourism in the central province of Quang Nam in December 2024 updated policies on sustainable rural development worldwide.
Ho An Phong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said that Vietnam is an agricultural country with more than 70 per cent of the population living in rural areas. Therefore, the countryside is also home to unique cultural and natural heritages, which can be built into attractive products for international visitors.
“International guests come to Vietnam not only to experience luxury hotels but also to explore peaceful villages,” Phong said. “Rural tourism has therefore contributed to transforming livelihoods and increasing incomes. It supports the maintenance of traditional occupations, the development of valuable local products, and the attraction of investment in the agricultural and rural sectors,” he added.
Over the years, rural tourism has made an important contribution to changing the face of Vietnam. Moc Chau district in the northern mountainous province of Son La boasts more than 2,000 hectares of tea, more than 3,000ha of vegetables, over 10,000ha of fruit trees. For many years, it has strongly developed farm-stay models, becoming an ideal place for people to experience ecological agriculture in the northern region.
In Quang Nam, agricultural and rural tourism began to take shape in the 2000s and has evolved strongly since 2013 with 125 related spots listed. According to estimates from its Department of Tourism, out of every one million visitors coming to Quang Nam, 30 per cent choose to experience agro-rural products. Some notable destinations include Thanh Ha pottery village, Tra Que vegetable village, Bay Mau coconut forest, Kim Bong carpentry village, and Co Tu village. In November, Tra Que was recognised by the UN Tourism as the best tourist village of the year.
Two other villages have been recognised as best for guests by the UN Tourism. Thai Hai Village in Thai Nguyen province was named in 2022 for its unique feature of preserving the traditional culture of the Tay ethnic group in daily life, while Tan Hoa in Quang Binh province was recognised the following year for its unique feature of exploring and experiencing the lives of people in flood-prone areas in floating houses.
To implement the Vietnam tourism development strategy to 2030 and the nation’s sustainable agriculture and rural strategy to 2030, Vietnam approved new rural construction that aimed to encourage the potential of agriculture, craft villages, and the ecological environment of rural areas, contributing to transformation towards integration and inclusiveness.
Nguyen Trung Khanh, director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, said that the system of rural destinations in Vietnam has developed across the country, with many enticing high-quality products.
“The north currently has many agricultural tours exploiting traditional rice planting and cultivation activities, handicrafts, and livestock farms. Around the suburbs of Hanoi, there are currently 11 ecological agricultural farms operating under the model of education and experiential tourism, and many areas with potential and advantages for building agricultural and rural tourism,” Khanh said.
In the central and Central Highlands areas, there are also products that demonstrate agricultural diversity, such as tours to visit ethnic minority villages. Meanwhile, the Mekong Delta region with its characteristics of rivers and garden houses also has potential to exploit agricultural tourism.
“Vietnam currently has 36 community products and services recognised as 3-4 stars, 365 rural destinations, and over 70 routes exploiting rural tourism, attracting up to 15 per cent of tourism workers. The main customers are school visitors, families travelling on weekends, young groups from urban areas, and foreign guests,” Khanh added.
According to the World Tourism Organisation, the number of people partaking in agricultural and rural tourism holds 10 per cent, with revenue of about $30 billion per year.
In Vietnam, agricultural and rural tourism also brings many opportunities for strong growth and is expected to help Vietnam draw in an additional 22-23 million international visitors in 2025.