Locals are picking lotuses in Dong Thap (Photo: Vietnamnet)Dong Thap (VNA) – Famers in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap not onlygrow fruit trees for a living but are also tour guides in their own gardens.
Their newway of doing business has helped diversify the local tourism sector and attractedtourists yearning for eco-holidays.
Nguyen VanDay, a member of Lai Vung tangerine cooperative, just opened a 1.5-hectare LanAnh orchard for visitors in Long Hau commune, the sixth of its kind in Lai Vungdistrict.
Tickets toenter these gardens cost 50,000 VND (2.2 USD) per adult and half price per kid.
Le VanNgot, in My Hoa commune, Thap Muoi district, said tourism services around his4-hectare lotus plantation bring profits between two and three times higherthan from selling lotuses.
Earlierthis year, villager Tran Thanh Hung put into operation the first home-stay facilityin Sa Dec city. The facility is located on his 3,000-m2 flower garden, where healso raises frogs.
Eco-farmtourism also emerged in Cao Lanh city in 2017, welcoming about two groups of touristsevery week since the beginning of the year. Many local households have investedhundreds of millions VND in tourism infrastructure in their gardens.
Ngo QuangTuyen, deputy head of the Dong Thap Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism,said in the three day New Year holiday earlier this year, eco-tours at tangerinegardens in Lai Vung and flower farms in Sa Dec lured approximately 76,000 visitorsto the province, up 3.5 percent compared to the same period last year.
Localauthorities have implemented policies to encourage farmers to invest ineco-tourism. 50 million VND (2,217 USD) from the provincial budget is earmarkedto support the construction of each home-stay facility capable of accommodatingbetween 30 and 49 guests, while facilities accommodating 50 guests and morereceive 60 million VND (2,661 USD) each. Restaurants on areas from 200 sq.m with capacity for 100 guests and above and major shopping malls are eligible forfinancial assistance of 500,000 VND (22 USD) per square metre.-VNA
VNA
