Rural tourism targets community benefits

Lai Chau (VNA) – To promote rural tourism, it is necessary to pay attention to community benefits and cultural and environmental protection, said Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue.

Speaking at a workshop on rural tourism development in combination with new-style rural area building, the official explained that diversifying the livelihoods of rural residents is the focus of rural development plans.

He asked localities to coordinate with ministries and consulting agencies to assess their potential and advantages in tourism, while investing in infrastructure and promoting regional connectivity to utilise such advantages.

Agriculture-based tourism will help to promote the consumption of agricultural products and raise their values, as well as increase the income of farmers, the Deputy PM said, citing a report presented at the workshop in saying that only 27 percent of rural incomes come from agricultural production, while the remaining 73 percent are sourced from non-agricultural production and services.

Tours to rural areas in many localities such as the central provinces of Quang Nam and Thanh Hoa; the Mekong Delta region; and the northern mountainous provinces of Yen Bai, Lao Cai, and Hoa Binh have attracted both domestic and foreign visitors, he said.

Delegates at the workshop shared the view that tourism development in combination with new-style rural area building should be rolled out on a larger scale during the implementation of the national target programme in order to raise the incomes of rural and mountainous residents, while also preserving and promoting the values of ethnic groups’ cultural heritage. –VNA