Developing Craft Village Economy through OCOP Products Linked to Tourism

Hanoi is home to many time-honored craft villages that have shaped the city's rich cultural identity. In recent years, these villages have leveraged their unique heritage to tap into tourism, achieving notable successes and attracting both domestic and international visitors. To further unlock their economic potential through tourism and the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) program, the city needs a comprehensive, well-coordinated strategy moving forward.

Students tour the ostrich farm at Phu Dong Green Park

Currently, Hanoi leads the country with 3,317 certified OCOP products, accounting for 22.1% of the country's total. Many OCOP-standard products have made their way into major supermarket chains, e-commerce platforms and international markets. Community-based tourism and countryside tourism sites are among the six product groups defined under the OCOP Program as per Decision 490/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister dated May 7, 2018 on ratification of the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program for the 2018–2020 period. This is considered a highly potential product group for Hanoi. The inclusion of tourism service products in the OCOP Program is a right way for cooperatives to harness their strengths and potential. As a result, this move has gradually increased incomes for local people, promoted rural economic and cultural development in Hanoi. The value and popularity of tourism products will be enhanced once they are certified as OCOP products.

An eco-tourism campsite offering fun and engaging activities close to nature

Hanoi currently has two tourism destinations rated as 4-star OCOP products in the category of “Community tourism and tourist attractions”, namely Hong Van Countryside Tourism Site (Thuong Tin district) and Phu Dong Green Park Ecotourism Site (Gia Lam district). Notably, both sites offer eco-tourism experiences with recreational and entertaining activities that connect visitors with nature.

Mr. Pham Xuan Thong, Executive Director of Phu Dong Green Park Joint Stock Company, which manages the Phu Dong Green Park Ecotourism Site, said: The site welcomes around 70,000 visitors annually, including approximately 50,000 students and 15,000 guests from agencies and enterprises, and individual travelers. Since being certified as a 4-star OCOP product, it has become more popular and seen more visitor arrivals than before. As a result, its revenue has kept growing. The local workforce involved in trade, services and tourism has also increased considerably.

“In the time ahead, Phu Dong Green Park Joint Stock Company will continue to focus on developing branded products linked to local cultural heritages and specialty products such as the Special National Historical Site of Phu Dong Temple and Giong Festival at Phu Dong Temple, Phu Dong paper flower craft village, and provide short-term accommodation services. The company will promote tourism linkages among craft villages and spiritual or culinary tourism in Gia Lam district, including Bat Trang, Van Duc, Duong Xa, Phu Dong and Ninh Hiep villages,” he emphasized.

In 2022, Hong Van Countryside Tourism Site was certified by the Hanoi People’s Committee as a 4-star OCOP product in the category of “Community tourism and tourist attractions.” Experiences in Hong Van have caught the fancy of many tourists. On average, the commune welcomes around 35,000 visitors and earns over VND10 billion of revenue a year.

Hong Van commune also has 16 historical sites, including a national site and two city-level sites and a rich folklore repository. Hence, on September 24, 2024, the Hanoi People’s Committee issued Decision No. 4992/QD-UBND on recognition of Hong Van Countryside Tourism Site, Hong Van commune.

Hong Van commune attracts tourists by offering distinctive tourism experiences

In the past time, Hong Van residents have continually sought to learn and exchange experiences in developing eco-tourism and community tourism. In 2018, the commune was recognized by the city as a craft village tourism destination. Subsequently, in 2019, Hong Van was certified as an advanced new rural area and recently accredited as a model new rural commune.

To capitalize on its inherent strengths, on December 28, 2021, the Hong Van People’s Council issued a resolution on piloting specialized agricultural production models and craft village tourism that integrates accommodation services and visitor experiences. In 2022, Hong Van Countryside Tourism Site was officially certificated as a 4-star OCOP product in the category of “Community tourism and tourist attractions.”  Tourist experiences at the site have continued to draw significant attention, attracting an average of 35,000 tourists annually and generating over VND10 billion of in revenue.

Since being certified as a 4-star OCOP product, it has become more popular and seen more visitor arrivals than before. As a result, its revenue has kept growing. The local workforce involved in trade, services and tourism has also increased considerably.

With two tourism sites certified as 4-star OCOP products in the “Community tourism and tourist attractions” category, Hanoi has a strong foundation to further tap into local potential and strengths and gradually enhances the value of OCOP products, including community-based tourism products. The city increasingly develops suburban tourism potential to diversify tourism products and comprehensively grow the tourism sector and contributes to local socioeconomic transformation.

By Ngoc Dan, Vietnam Business Forum