Adding Rural Tourism into New Rural Development Program

Developing rural tourism will be one of the new concerns of the agricultural sector.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to work with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to collect opinions from relevant agencies to include rural tourism development into the National Target Program for New Rural Development in the 2021-2025 period and submit these contents to competent authorities.

Rural tourism development under this program is defined as one of the driving forces that create jobs, raise people's incomes, and promote rural economic restructuring while preserving traditional cultural values and protecting the environment. Effective rural tourism development will help develop tourism into a spearhead economic sector and sustainable new rural construction.

Vietnam currently has three types of rural tourism: community tourism, agricultural tourism and ecotourism. The country has about 365 rural tourist spots and more than 2,000 traditional handicraft villages with potential for tourism development.

By Bao Ngoc, Vietnam Business Forum