Perspectives for promoting agricultural tourism in the 'paradise' of Mang Den

The Kon Plong district is home to the main high-tech agricultural production area in the province of Kon Tum. In addition to enhancing the quality of products and constructing a supply-and-demand chain, the agriculture sector of the district defines the growth of high-tech agriculture related to tourism. Mang Den town (Kon Plong district) has been the tourism center of Kon Tum province for a number of years, attracting millions of tourists annually.

The attraction of agriculture and tourism combined

On a 10-hectare orange garden with an annual yield of approximately 200 tons, Nguyen Quang Dong's operation on his Hai Dong ecological agriculture farm was difficult. In recent years, his fruit garden in Mang Den has undergone a number of improvements. Despite its remote location, the farm is nestled in the primeval forest. Especially, the orange is planted and cared for organically, resulting in products with a distinct flavor and quality that attracts many visitors.

Du Van Toan, a tourist from Gia Lai, said, "Before going to Mang Den, I researched the orange growing estate in Hai Dong. It is unique because the orange orchard is grown beneath the canopy of ancient trees without disrupting the natural forest. The experience of gathering oranges and tasting them right in the forest is a wonderful one. When my Facebook photos of oranges were posted, a number of my acquaintances instructed me to purchase dozens of kilograms of oranges.

In 2019, the ecological agriculture farm of Hai Dong was QR-code certified to define the origin traceability of Mang Den Hai Dong organic oranges. With an average yield of 20 kilograms per hectare and an average selling price of VND 30,000 per kilogram, the farm's annual revenue exceeds VND 6 billion. Nguyen Quang Dong, the leader of Hai Dong ecological agriculture farms, stated that travelers play a significant role in the utilization of products and the development of the Mang Den orange brand. When travelers arrive to experience a location and post photos on social media, the image will be enhanced.

Dong also stated that the oranges here are grown organically, in accordance with the ecology of the old forest, a rare occurrence that excites visitors. Additionally, consumers of big supermarkets have more faith in the orange brand name Hai Dong.

Niinuma Tomofarm Mang Den Co., Ltd. cultivates essential commodities such as strawberries, tiny cabbages, Japanese cherry tomatoes, and blackberries in two greenhouses covering an area of approximately 4,000m2 in the Mang Den Hi-tech Agricultural Park. This is also one of the most popular tourist destinations, as visitors can not only observe high-tech agricultural products but also acquire the agricultural products they wish to purchase directly from the garden.

Ms. Ho Thanh Tam, Production Manager of Niinuma Tomofarm Co., Ltd. (Mang Den town), stated that during prime tourist seasons such as Tet or public holidays, the company welcomes hundreds of tourists per day, generating over VND 100 million/month in revenue.

Dang Huyen Trang (a 10th-grade student from the city of Kon Tum) stated that her parents transport her to Mang Den every holiday so she can travel and directly observe the activities of cultivating and caring for vegetables and fruits.

"Upon entering the high-tech agricultural zone, I was free to learn about planting and care techniques, as well as how producers grew a diversity of agricultural products in different ways. This will be very beneficial to my learning process, both now and in the future, said Trang.

Requiring more options to evolve

In fact, the combination of agriculture and tourism has brought a number of benefits to rural production and livelihoods. This type of tourism model not only contributes to the diversification of economic activities and the production of agricultural goods but also creates employment and raises the income of farmers.

Mr. Pham Thanh Binh, head of the Kon Plong district's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, stated that 11 enterprises, cooperatives, and farms are currently certified to produce in accordance with VietGAP and organic standards; 15 organizations and individuals have QR Codes for product traceability. There are numerous models that integrate high-tech agricultural production with tourism, resulting in high efficiency and tremendous growth potential.

In recent years, the Kon Plong district has progressively established itself as a destination for many domestic and international travelers, due to its favorable natural conditions and year-round cool climate. However, this model can only develop on a limited scale due to deficiencies in land management, infrastructure, and weak links in the rural tourism value chain. Specifically, investment resources are constrained by the absence of a comprehensive policy on agricultural development combined with tourism.

Nguyen Quang Dong stated that it should be possible for farmers to construct residences at agricultural production sites, as Da Lat is doing. Moreover, more investment should be made in transportation infrastructure to assess visitors in a more convenient manner.