OCOP "Tourism Ambassadors" Promote Local Cultural Values

Community-Based Tourism Attains 3-Star OCOP Rating

This strategic integration not only enhances economic value and agricultural production efficiency but also significantly contributes to preserving traditional cultural identities for sustainable tourism development.

Over the past months, Lam Dong has executed numerous trade promotion initiatives to facilitate marketing, build brand visibility, and expand consumer markets for the province’s OCOP items, with a sharp focus on regional specialties tailored for tourists and domestic consumption.

Through dedicated trade fairs, international exhibitions, supply-demand connectivity weeks, local specialty showcases, and integrated cultural-tourism events, a wide array of the province’s OCOP offerings have gained extensive exposure among local residents, domestic travelers, and distribution networks both inside and outside the province.

Lam Dong currently has 941 certified OCOP products. These function as premier "tourism ambassadors" that eloquently communicate local indigenous stories. Each rustic specialty and agricultural item not only represents strict quality standards but also showcases the distinct culture, unique soil characteristics, and the people of this high-potential territory.

According to Nguyen Lan Ngoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, embedding OCOP product promotion into trade marketing, cultural festivals, and core tourism operations has substantially boosted local brand recognition among travelers and consumers.

Through targeted trade promotion and market matchmaking sessions, multiple local OCOP items have progressively expanded their distribution networks, amplified market accessibility, and successfully met the shopping demands of tourists and citizens alike, driving local economic consumption.

Presently, the province hosts several exemplary tourism models and products directly linked to the production and consumption of OCOP products, capitalizing on the rural culture and indigenous knowledge of various sub-regions.

Diversifying the Tourism Product Portfolio

Pham Van Trong, a representative of the Bau Trang U&ME tourist area, stated: "Beyond providing tourists with entertainment and interactive recreational experiences, our facility aims to actively promote the Cham ethnic culture of Bac Binh to international visitors. Consequently, we are integrating local cultural performances and traditional craft village demonstrations into our core itinerary, enhancing overall tourist appeal during national holidays, Tet celebrations, and the peak summer season."

Alongside this community tourism landmark, various other localities across the province are aggressively scaling up hallmark OCOP-linked tourism initiatives. Notable examples include Bong Lai Farm (Hoa Thanh Commune), Avocado Farm (Quang Lap Commune), and the Thai Duong Honeybee Farm Duc Trong Commune). These models have successfully accelerated the production and consumption of OCOP products, tapped into the rich indigenous knowledge of rural communities, and significantly diversified the regional tourism landscape.

Recently, the People's Committee of Lam Dong Province laid out concrete strategic directives and policy frameworks designed to supercharge tourism development integrated with OCOP manufacturing and consumption. Under these directives, the province will continue to develop and replicate signature rural tourism models tailored to specific regional characteristics. Concurrently, local authorities are prioritizing digital transformation, open innovation, and the preservation of traditional cultural values.

Furthermore, the provincial strategy emphasizes building robust corporate-regional brands, focusing heavily on developing tourism portfolios tied directly to certified OCOP products, traditional craft villages, and eco-friendly green tourism. This approach is aimed at establishing sustainable livelihoods for communes that possess prime geographical conditions for tourism growth.

To realize these long-term milestones, Nguyen Lan Ngoc disclosed that the Department is actively petitioning the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism to advise the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the expedited ratification and issuance of the specialized project: "Developing Tourism Linked to the Production and Consumption of OCOP Products, Contributing to the Preservation and Promotion of Cultural Values and Indigenous Knowledge across Rural Vietnam."

In tandem with this request, the provincial department has recommended that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism collaborate with relevant ministries and state agencies to establish a unified "Set of Criteria for the Recognition of Rural Tourism Destinations." This framework will serve to attract economic organizations and households to invest in rural tourism infrastructures, supplemented by favorable credit access policies, targeted promotional campaigns, human resource training, and historical culture conservation.