Provincial Department of Culture - Sports and Tourism in collaboration with Department of Agriculture - Rural Development held a training workshop on developing orchard-based ecotourism for provincial gardeners. At the workshop, gardeners hoped that this model would soon be applied to bring economic benefits, introduce Binh Duong fruit brands, and enhance local tourism.
Opportunities for farmers
Mr. Quan Van Choi and his family living in An Son commune, Thuan An town has attached himself to mangosteen for 3 generations. He used to sell his mangosteens to traders, but have no visitors at his orchard. Knowing that the new model would attract more visitors to visit orchards, he was very exciting and hoped to welcome tourists to his garden.
Tourists enjoyed mangosteen at garden in Hung Dinh ward, Thuan An town.
Some gardeners in Hung Dinh ward, Thuan An town were in Cau Ngang tourist area and used to welcome many tourists to their orchards. But the number of tourists of these orchards has decreased in recent years. Mr. Nguyen Hoang Minh said: “I and many gardeners here hope that the authority would have new models to attract tourists again”.
Binh Duong province has many natural advantages to develop orchards, like: Lai Thieu (Thuan An town), Bach Dang (Tan Uyen town), Hieu Liem (North Tan Uyen district)... However, except Thuan An town, most orchards have not had visitors and sold their fruits to traders. Therefore, Mr. Nguyen Minh Cong living in Bach Dang commune, Tan Uyen town said, the development of orchard-based ecotourism would open new opportunities for farmers. They can sell specialties to tourists and earn more money, have more jobs, widen their circle of acquaintances.
To be put into practice
More than 100 gardeners from Thuan An town, Tan Uyen town, North Tan Uyen district participated in a training session of “Improving farmer’s capabilities for ecotourism development in the 2014-2016 period”, in which farmers play an important role. Mr. Nguyen Tan Dinh, Director of Vocational and Farmer Supporting Service Center under provincial Farmers’ Union said, farmers had established trade villages, specialty fruit brands to develop ecotourism, which is in need of more attention and investments to attract local human resources, create jobs, restructure local economy towards tourism. Therefore, farmers had opportunities to receive knowledge, technique trainings, visit effective models…
The province has also implemented preferential policies for farmers to develop their gardens. Mangosteen, durian, strawberry, langsat, marang in 4 communes of Binh Nham, Hung Dinh, An Son, An Thanh; pomelo in Bach Dang commune, Tan Uyen town are supported. Supporting duration is 4 years (2013-2016), supported area is 500m2 and more. Farmers in these areas were provided with 100% seedlings, 50% agricultural materials, 5 million/ha. In addition, the province also gives consultancy, technique training, market development assistance, trade promotion…
According to Mr. Le Phan Thuan, Deputy Director of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the department also held many workshops to provide orientations to orchard-based ecotourism development for localities and gardeners. He hoped that the training would contribute to raising awareness of the role of tourism in provincial economic development; provide useful knowledge, skills to farmers. This is also a chance for the province to enhance tourism, introduce our specialties to tourists.
Reported by T.Ly – Translated by Ngoc Huynh
