Viet Nam Eyes Development of Rural Tourism Powered by Digital Technology

Viet Nam is eyeing the development of rural tourism—such as community-based tourism, agricultural tourism, and ecotourism—backed by digital transformation.  

Viet Nam has around 365 rural tourism spots and more than 2,000 traditional craft villages with potential for development under rural tourism.  

The country’s National Target Program on New-style Rural Development in the 2021-2025 period identifies rural tourism’s potential to create jobs, raise people's incomes, and promote a shift in the rural economic structure. It will also help preserve traditional culture and protect the environment.     

An online forum promoting rural tourism through digital transformation was organized by Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on 2 October. The forum underscored that application of digital transformation in rural tourism could help attract more visitors, assist tourists in planning and preparing for their trip, and provide better services and understanding of customer behavior. 

Le Ba Ngoc, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Handicraft Exporters’ Association (Vietcraft) proposed the following measures to boost rural tourism: (i) cooperation with international organizations to promote Vietnam's rural tourism products, (ii) coordination between Vietcraft, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and provinces to popularize rural tourism products digitally, (iii) building a national database of tangible cultural values, and (iv) tourism development of 54 ethnic groups in Viet Nam. The country aims to raise traditional craft villages’ participation in the rural tourism value chain by 2025, setting a goal of 50% participation.