Developing resort and eco-tourism associated with tea culture

Developing resort and eco-tourism associated with tea culture is considered a key direction for the Thai Nguyen tourism sector in the coming period. However, to achieve this goal, the province still needs to take steady and effective steps.

During visits to tea-growing areas, many tourists have combined sightseeing with shopping for Thai Nguyen tea products.

A major advantage for developing this type of tourism product is that Thai Nguyen has key tourism destinations such as Nui Coc Lake and Ba Be Lake. These are regarded as central highlights with strong potential for sightseeing, resort, entertainment, recreation, and shopping tourism, suitable for a wide range of visitors. In addition, the province also has other resort areas in communes such as Dai Phuc, La Bang, Tan Cuong, and Vo Tranh, all of which have great potential for developing resort tourism, nature experiences, community-based tourism, and eco-tourism.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lien, a tourist from Hanoi, shared: “This is the first time I’ve visited the Tan Cuong tea hills. At first, I felt excited and eager to see what the Tan Cuong tea hills would be like. When I arrived, I felt it was a very vast and peaceful area”.

However, to fully tap into these potentials, greater attention must be given to creating unique experiential tourism products. These include practical experiences through tours such as tea picking, traditional manual tea roasting, and processing tea products together with residents. At the same time, it is necessary to develop tea-tasting spaces, tea art performances, visits to traditional tea craft villages, and tours of the province’s most scenic tea-growing areas. Along with that is the development of distinctive dishes and beverages made from tea leaves and tea buds, creating a unique culinary identity to attract tourists.

Mr. Hoang Van Tuan, Director of Phu Do Safe Tea Cooperative in Vo Tranh Commune, said: “With a favorable geographical location along the new Thai Nguyen - Cho Moi - Bac Kan route, we have coordinated with travel agencies to promote green tours”.

Foreign tourists are fond of picnicking in tea-growing areas, such as Tan Cuong, La Bang, Vo Tranh...

Developing eco-tourism and resort areas is also considered an important task to attract visitors to Thai Nguyen. In particular, attention should be given to building homestays located among tea hills, offering quiet spaces immersed in nature. At the same time, the cool ecological environment can be utilized to organize outdoor activities for tourists, such as picnics and cycling.

Mr. Dong Duc Phuong, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Tan Cuong Commune, said: “Tan Cuong is being developed into a key resort tourism destination in Thai Nguyen, linked with the development of the tea cultural space. We are aware that with the existing brand as the tea capital of Thai Nguyen province, trade and connectivity play an extremely important role. Therefore, we are proposing key solutions to develop rural transport infrastructure to serve tourism development”.

To further promote resort and eco-tourism linked with tea culture, Thai Nguyen also needs to improve communication skills and foreign language proficiency for residents involved in tourism, and support people in providing services and preserving traditional culture. At the same time, accommodation, dining facilities, and transport infrastructure should be upgraded to create more favorable conditions for visitors. In particular, greater focus should be placed on building a strong tourism brand associated with the province’s specialty tea-growing areas. Another essential factor is establishing OCOP-standard tea product shops at tourist sites, enabling visitors to combine sightseeing with shopping for local products.