Quang Nam is known for many typical products, diverse ecosystems (mountains, midland and sea), multiculturalism (Vietnamese, Cham and ethnic minorities). This diversity is a foundation and a distinct advantage to develop agriculture and rural areas and facilitate the formation and development of community-based agricultural tourism.
Strengths
Agritourism development has been a future tourism type, an open potential space for creative entrepreneurs to form their own products. Locality - a basic feature in starting a business and creating a distinctive value in entrepreneurship - is being used and promoted by the startup community. Recognizing its strengths, in the innovative startup ecosystem support plan to 2025 (issued in response to Decision 4396/QD-UBND, dated December 18, 2017), Quang Nam province has focused on supporting innovative startups in priority sectors like tourism, food, catering services, agricultural services, agriculture (including medicinal herbs), information technology - communication, mechanical engineering, and automation. These closely related fields support each other to develop with the Technological Revolution 4.0 and use technology as the foundation for development. But, to maximize advantages for agritourism startups, in addition to general support mechanisms for innovative startups, Quang Nam province needs to pay special attention to specific matters.
Mr. Phan Viet Cuong, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, said, “Agritourism products, linked to countryside sightseeing and experience, is a matter of concern in many localities. To realize this content, promoting the development of a new countryside model and carrying out the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program will be useful for rural tourism development. These contents will interact and promote each other to develop and increase income for rural residents.”
Mr. Phan Xuan Thanh, Chairman of the Quang Nam Tourism Association, said that a sustainable tourism industry must be beneficial to local people, ensure sustainability and avoid abuse or excessive utilization of technology and artificial intelligence and avoid massive development which spoils the natural environment and sustainability. That is the way to create the true value of tourism creativity. Moreover, agritourism and countryside tourism promote cultural exchanges, enhance mutual understanding between locals and tourists, open up opportunities for Quang Nam people to improve their capacity and skills. To start an agricultural business, innovation is vital.
Popularizing local products
Agricultural and countryside tourism, tied to local products, is the foundation for OCOP product development. Quang Nam startup projects know how to create and innovate their own products, such as black sesame oil, cajeput oil, baked coconut cake and Cua Khe fish sauce, but they lack innovation in packaging design, product quality, construction and intellectual property management. Startups, first of all, need to use legal tools to protect intellectual property and ensure quality standards, before expanding and increasing their products. It is necessary to change the traditional concept of “there is no need to have marketing for a good product” in startup products.
Desiring to preserve the flavor of “Ta Vac” wine (a wine made from a local fruit), Mr. Hien Thanh Tam (La Dee commune, Nam Giang district, Quang Nam province) and his two friends researched how to distill Ta Vac liquor and extract the distilled alcohol for the market. He said, there are two types of Ta Vac liquor, including traditional wine and distilled one. The wine is naturally fermented. After being extracted from Ta Vac fruit, the liquid is mixed with the bark of yellow cosmos plants to ferment and become wine. Tam received a lot of comments on the product from the forum for OCOP startups organized by the Quang Nam Youth Union in 2019, he and his friends continued to perfect the packaging design. Recently, the wine was recognized to have 3-star quality under the OCOP Program by the Quang Nam Provincial People’s Committee.
Bling Vinh, one of his friends, said the economic potential of Ta Vac wine in Nam Giang is huge. However, at present, it is brewed by only two locations. “In the coming time, we will open more facilities to produce Ta Vac wine in Thanh My town (Nam Giang district). Materials are sourced from nearby communes of Ta Poo, Ta Bhing and Thanh My. Many local people will have their incomes increased with the presence of our production facilities,” he said.
Mr. Alang Truop, Secretary of the Nam Giang Youth Union, said that the district youth union has stepped up recommendations and marketing activities through various channels to popularize local products.
Source: Vietnam Business Forum
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