Hanoi (VNA). Linking One Commune, One Product (OCOP) goods with rural tourism is creating opportunities to raise agricultural value, expand markets and increase rural incomes.
Phuong Dinh Anh, Deputy Chief of the Central Coordination Office for National Target Programmes, said Vietnam had more than 21,000 OCOP products rated three stars or higher as of September 2026. More than 10,000 enterprises and producers were involved. The country also had more than 600 rural tourism models, nearly 400 of which had received official recognition.
However, links between OCOP products and tourism remain limited. Many goods are sold at tourist sites without showing how they are produced or the cultural heritage behind them, while some producers lack facilities to receive visitors.
Anh said producers should invite tourists to farms and workshops so they can experience cultivation, processing and local traditions instead of simply buying goods at tourist destinations. Investment is needed in visitor facilities, food safety, product stories and customer service.
In Thai Nguyen province, tea tourism in areas such as Tan Cuong, La Bang and Tuc Tranh is helping farmers earn additional income and promote local products.
Hao Dat Tea Cooperative in Tan Cuong commune has one five-star OCOP product and two products rated from three to four stars. It has invested billions of dong in a tea cultural space where visitors can sample tea, enjoy tea hill landscapes and learn about production processes.
Its director, Dao Thanh Hao, said these experiences help visitors understand local tea-making traditions and also promote product sales.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Ngo Thi Thu Trang, Director of the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities Research at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities under Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, said product quality alone was not enough to compete. Producers need to maintain standards, improve packaging, develop visitor programmes and establish sales channels.
She said effectiveness should be measured not only by the number of products receiving a star rating but also by sales, customer satisfaction and producer incomes.
Vietnam welcomed around 17 million international visitors in the first nine months of 2026, giving rural tourism significant opportunities. Travel companies should be involved early to help develop programmes that match market demand.
Digital transformation is also important. QR codes can help consumers trace product origins and verify quality, while digital sales channels should generate actual orders and build stable markets, Trang said.
Hoang Hoa Quan, a representative of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said closer coordination between the economic, transport and cultural sectors, stronger policy support and a decisive shift from simply selling farm produce to offering cultural experiences would help build sustainable value chains, promote local products and improve rural livelihoods.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
