Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam is promoting the integration of One Commune One Product (OCOP) goods into tourism services and destinations to increase their value, expand markets, and strengthen links between local producers and the tourism industry.
In addition to traditional retail channels, OCOP products are now featured in hotels, resorts, restaurants, tourist attractions, and airports, becoming an integral part of visitor experiences and reinforcing the connection between local producers and the tourism industry.
Linking tourism with OCOP and cultural preservation
OCOP products reflect local history, community life and traditional knowledge. Integrating them into tourism therefore creates opportunities for visitors to explore not only local goods but also the cultural stories and production processes behind them.
In Ninh Binh, five-star and three-star OCOP products, including scorched rice, herbal tea, Van Lam embroidery, and Kim Son sedge products, are featured in the decoration, cuisine, and services of high-end accommodation facilities. The Ecohost community-based tourism model also promotes local products through on-site services and gift offerings.
Accommodation facilities thus serve as spaces for showcasing local specialities, enabling visitors to experience products while exploring the former imperial capital. Ninh Binh currently has around 1,000 OCOP brands, providing a substantial resource for tourism development.
Hanoi, with 1,350 craft villages, is also combining traditional crafts with tourism services. Phu Dong Green Park in Gia Lam commune and the rural tourism site in Hong Van commune offer educational, agricultural, and recreational activities alongside OCOP product sales.
At Bat Trang pottery village, visitors can purchase ceramics, including five-star OCOP products, try pottery-making, and learn about traditional craftsmanship at the Centre for the Quintessence of Vietnamese Craft Villages.
In Thai Nguyen province, La Bang commune is developing tourism around its tea-growing areas. Visitors can pick tea with farmers, enjoy tea prepared by artisans on the hills, and purchase OCOP products at their source.
In the central city of Da Nang, 28 “Made in Da Nang” OCOP product display areas were established in 2026 at tourist attractions, high-end coastal resorts and Da Nang International Airport.
On October 1, a similar model was also introduced at Tho Xuan Airport in Thanh Hoa province. Hundreds of local OCOP products are available at popular destinations in Pu Luong, Thuong Xuan and Linh Son.
These initiatives support the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism's proposed project to develop tourism in association with OCOP production and consumption, while preserving rural cultural values and indigenous knowledge.
VNAT Deputy Director Ha Van Sieu said linking rural tourism with OCOP products and cultural preservation will deliver dual benefits by raising product value, supporting rural economic restructuring and preserving local traditions and knowledge.
From product promotion to market development
According to Le Quoc Viet, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association and Chairman of the Xu Quang Destination Club, international visitors currently spend only around 12-15% of their budgets in Vietnam on gifts and goods, below the Southeast Asian average of 22.5%.
If 5% of the 19.5 million international arrivals targeted for 2026 purchase local specialities worth 250,000 VND each, Da Nang can generate an additional 244 billion VND in annual tourism revenue without incurring international shipping or import-export procedures, he noted.
Viet pointed to several challenges, including limited supply capacity for small producers, costly commercial requirements, inadequate product packaging and sourcing from multiple suppliers. Limited data on tourists' shopping habits also hinders product development. He called for closer business links between tourism sites and producers, and standardised quality, packaging and distribution to better meet market demand.
Phuong Dinh Anh, Deputy Chief of the Office for Coordination of the New-Style Rural Development Programme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said Vietnam has more than 21,000 OCOP products. The office is promoting links between OCOP development and tourism, encouraging visitors to explore production sites, experience local crafts and purchase specialities.
This direction is also reflected in the Political Bureau’s Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW dated August 22, 2026, which calls for promoting shopping tourism featuring Vietnamese and OCOP products and strengthening links between tourism services and local producers. Such connections will increase domestic value, improve economic efficiency, and expand participation in global value chains and on-the-spot exports.
Integrating OCOP products into tourism experiences, from local cuisine and resort services to craft activities and souvenirs, will generate additional income while preserving local cultural identity./.
