Known for tea cultivation, the northern province of Thai Nguyen has developed community and agricultural tourism related to its tea culture, attracting large numbers of visitors from all over.
The area where tea specialties are grown becomes a magnet for travelers
Tan Cuong is a mid-mountain land blessed by favorable climatic and soil conditions. Here, local residents have been growing tea since the 1920s, forming a panorama of endless green hills.
The cultivation area of ​​the Tan Cuong tea specialty covers six municipalities, namely, Tan Cuong, Phuc Xuan, Phuc Triu, Thinh Duc, Quyet Thang and Phuc Ha, in the city of Thai Nguyen.
Tan Cuong tea has been certified as a geographical indication by the Vietnam Intellectual Property Office. In addition, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has included popular knowledge on the cultivation and processing of Tan Cuong tea on the list of national intangible cultural heritage.
In addition to manufacturing high-quality tea products, locals have gone on to develop community tourism linked to their tea culture to meet traveler demand and also advertise their products.
The Hao Dat Tea Cooperative is an example. It is the first Thai Nguyen cooperative to have a tea product recognized as a five-star national product within the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) program.
In recent years, it has created a tea culture space that features a wooden house for visitors to taste tea and display products, along with an area to showcase traditional tea-making methods. This place has welcomed 6,000 Vietnamese and foreign visitors since the beginning of 2023.
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Dao Thanh Hao, director of Hao Dat Tea Cooperative, said that taking advantage of existing advantages, her cooperative has launched new services and developed community tourism in its tea-growing area. This has contributed to diversifying local tourism products, attracting visitors and making their products directly known to consumers.
Other cooperatives, such as Tien Yen Tea and Community Tourism Cooperative, Tam Tra Thai Cooperative and Tan Cuong Midland Tea Cooperative, are also working to attract tourists. Specifically, they have come together to create the Tan Cuong Community Tourism Cooperative Union.
Last April, the Thai Nguyen administration recognized the Tan Cuong community tourism site. By setting foot here, visitors can enjoy endless hills of green tea, try their hand at picking and drying tea buds, learn folk knowledge of tea cultivation and processing from Tan Cuong, and sip local tea.
Travelers also have restaurant and accommodation services at their disposal, as well as products from the province.
Development of tourist places based on tea culture
Apart from Tan Cuong, many other community tourism sites related to tea culture are also taking shape in Thai Nguyen, such as those in La Bang and Hoang Nong communes, Dai Tu district, and Tuc Tranh commune, from Phu Luong district.
Travelers also have restaurant and accommodation services at their disposal, as well as products from the province.
Duong Van Luong, secretary of the Thai Nguyen City Party Committee, stated that the city will hold more meetings and workshops to guide farmers in sustainable and efficient tea growing practices. In particular, it will ask companies, cooperatives and farmers to develop tea cultivation together with community tourism.
In its tourism development plan for 2021-2025, looking to 2030, Thai Nguyen Province aims to build at least five more community tourism sites based on tea culture by 2025.
So far, the provincial administration has recognized six community tourism sites, two of them based on tea culture, which have attracted a large number of visitors. They have helped popularize the Thai Nguyen tea brand and local agricultural products, while generating higher and more sustainable incomes for rural residents.
Article republished from the Vietnamese state media VNA within the framework of an agreement between both parties to share content. Link to the original article: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/thai-nguyen-taps-into-tea-culture-to-boost-tourism/267610.vnp
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Source: https://reporteasia.com/economia/turismo/2023/09/10/thai-nguyen-aprovechan-cultura-te-turismo/
