Rural economic development: [2] Potential of countryside tourism

Potential yet to be fully harnessed

Bài liên quan

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In addition to its advantages in raw materials for developing OCOP products, Thanh Binh Commune (Da Nang) also boasts a rich landscape and cultural and ecological values, laying a foundation for rural tourism development. Among these assets, Loc Yen ancient village is considered a key attraction.

Nestled amid lush orchards, Loc Yen has preserved the appearance of a Quang Land-style rural village dating back hundreds of years. Ancient houses peeking through the tree canopy, moss-covered stone paths winding along the hillsides, rows of lush green tea hedges, and the gentle sound of water flowing through irrigation ditches create a tranquil setting imbued with a distinctive local identity.

For generations, local people have referred to Loc Yen as the "wonderland," as its landscape is a harmonious blend of homes, orchards, hills, rice fields, rivers, and streams. Rather than reshaping nature through rigid interventions, local residents have skillfully adapted to the terrain to build their homes, create pathways, cultivate gardens, and channel water for agricultural production.

The village is now home to around 20 ancient houses, each 100-150 years old and featuring the traditional architecture of Quang Land. In 2019, Loc Yen ancient village was designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism as a national heritage site, making it one of the few ancient villages in Viet Nam to receive this designation.

The connection between architectural heritage and community life has endowed Loc Yen with unique resources for developing rural, ecological, and community-based tourism. Tourists can not only explore the village’s ancient houses or take photos along its moss-covered stone paths but also experience the slow-paced, rustic lifestyle of a village preserved through generations.

In recent years, the local authorities have gradually invested in infrastructure to serve tourism. The road leading to the village can accommodate 29-seat buses, while internal roads have been concreted, making them convenient for vehicles carrying fewer than 16 passengers, bicycles, and pedestrians. Electricity, water supply, telecommunications, and internet services are basically ensured.

The village currently has one accommodation facility comprising four separate units, with an overnight capacity of around 16 guests, as well as two food service establishments offering local specialties. Several experiential activities have also gradually been developed, including visits to ancient houses, walking or cycling around the village, exploring traditional garden-house lifestyles, enjoying local cuisine, and soaking feet in herbal baths.

In 2025, Loc Yen ancient village welcomed around 30,000 domestic and international tourists. Tourism activities initially generated additional income for some local households through food services, accommodation, tour guiding, and the sale of agricultural products and other local specialties.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Man, the owner of a roughly 165-year-old ancient house, said his family has preserved almost intact its original structure, decorative patterns, and traditional carvings. Tourists occasionally come to explore the architecture and learn about the family’s way of life, but numbers remain unstable.

"The ancient village has just begun to be revitalized and has yet to truly attract large numbers of tourists. Local residents hope that authorities at all levels will pay greater attention to investing in infrastructure and roads while stepping up promotion through the media and social networks so that more people can learn about Loc Yen," Mr. Man said.

Enabling local people to earn a living from tourism

According to Mr. Duong Duc Lin, Chairman of the Thanh Binh Commune People’s Committee, before the administrative restructuring, Loc Yen ancient village had been identified by Quang Nam Province and Tien Phuoc District as a key area for developing rural, ecological, and community-based tourism.

This provides a foundation for the commune to continue building on existing master plans and projects while tapping into the value of the village’s heritage, landscapes, and community livelihoods to develop distinctive tourism products.

However, tourism activities remain largely small-scale, while promotion and tourism marketing efforts have yet to gain sufficient momentum. Infrastructure and supporting services remain inadequate, and linkages between the local community and travel businesses have yet to become regular. These limitations have prevented Loc Yen’s enormous potential from being fully translated into stable sources of income for local residents.

In the coming period, Thanh Binh commune plans to continue preserving the local landscape and cultural heritage, improve infrastructure to better serve tourists, and develop additional experiential activities associated with OCOP products, local culture, and residents' livelihoods.

"The goal is to gradually establish a chain of tourism services, ranging from visits to ancient houses and garden-house experiences to local cuisine, accommodation, shopping, and exploration of local culture. This will help extend tourists' stays, increase tourist spending, and ensure that the benefits of tourism reach more local households.

The locality aims to develop Loc Yen into a typical rural tourism destination in the city, moving toward meeting the criteria of the Best Tourism Villages Program by UN Tourism during the 2027-2028 period," Mr. Lin shared.

Not only for Loc Yen, but agricultural and rural tourism is also opening up significant development opportunities for rural areas in Da Nang City. Statistics show that the city has more than 150 rural tourism destinations, areas, and villages. During the 2021-2025 period, the city provided support for 36 rural tourism destinations and one model site, while 22 recognized rural tourism destinations came into operation. Many of these models have attracted domestic and international tourists, generating additional income from accommodation, food services, agricultural experiences, and other supporting services.

According to Mr. Van Ba Son, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the development of community-based tourism has strengthened production linkages, expanded the service value chain, created additional jobs, and contributed to fulfilling the production organization criterion under the New Rural Construction Program.

In 2025, agricultural and rural tourism activities across the city involved more than 4,000 households, creating direct employment for around 4,500 workers and indirect employment for approximately 10,000 others. Revenue reached over VND 300 billion, becoming a significant additional source of income for rural residents.

According to Mr. Son, in the coming period, Da Nang will continue to link rural tourism development with the promotion and consumption of agricultural products and distinctive OCOP products and support communities and households in applying digital platforms for booking management, the provision of experiential services, and cashless payments. The city will also strengthen connections between destinations and travel businesses, gradually establishing stable tour programs.

When rural tourism creates jobs, increases incomes, and fosters awareness of heritage preservation, the values of rural communities can become resources for sustainable development. This is also a practical way to realize the goal of building new rural areas and creating livable countrysides, where people can prosper in their own hometowns.

Under the Project on Developing Community-Based, Agricultural, and Rural Tourism in Da Nang for the 2026-2030 Period, the city strives to welcome 2 million agricultural and rural tourists and increase local residents’ incomes by at least 1.5 times by 2030. By 2035, the project targets the creation of stable employment for more than 10,000 rural and mountainous workers.

$1 = VND 26,480 - Source: Vietcombank.