Experiential tourism at Ngoc Dao goat dairy farm in Tan Hoa commune (Can Tho city). Photo: Kim Anh.

Based on the merger of Tan Hoa commune, Nhon Nghia A commune, Mot Ngan town and Bay Ngan town of Chau Thanh A district, Hau Giang province (formerly), the new Tan Hoa commune was established with an area of ​​over 58km2.

Of that, agricultural land accounts for more than 85% of the commune's total natural area (equivalent to nearly 5,000 hectares), with many key agricultural products such as rice (2,385 hectares), durian (508 hectares), mango (453 hectares), etc.

Besides possessing a large area of ​​arable land, Tan Hoa is also one of the few communes in Can Tho City with the Xa No canal running along its characteristic fruit-growing areas, and is close to the famous eco-tourism areas of Phong Dien commune. These advantages create ideal conditions for the locality to develop sustainable agricultural tourism.

However, according to Mr. Le Hoang Xuyen, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tan Hoa commune, the value of agricultural production in the locality is currently not high, the output is unstable, and competitiveness is low, making the income of the people still precarious.

In light of this reality, the Party Committee of the commune is determined to make agricultural tourism and community-based tourism, linked to value chains, a breakthrough task in the 2025-2030 period.

Currently, Tan Hoa commune has developed several typical tourist destinations such as Muong Dinh homestay, Ngoc Dao goat milk farm, along with 8 agricultural cooperatives and many cooperative groups creating distinctive OCOP products. These are important "building blocks" for developing agricultural tourism associated with ecological and cultural experiences of the Southern Vietnamese riverine garden region.

The Secretary of Tan Hoa commune emphasized that this is a new and groundbreaking approach, in which local people play a central role in the development of community tourism. The proactive and active participation of the people in preserving the landscape and environment, conserving traditional cultural values, and improving service quality and style are key factors for the sustainable development of tourism in Tan Hoa.

At the recent workshop "Linking Tourism Development in Tan Hoa Commune" organized by the commune's People's Committee, Mr. Xuyen once again called on travel companies and tourism businesses to strengthen cooperation and work together to build tour and experiential programs, bringing tourists to Tan Hoa. This will gradually form a tourism value chain linked to agricultural production, tourism services, and the consumption of OCOP products.

In addition, Tan Hoa commune also wishes to link with neighboring communes and wards such as Nhon Ai, Phong Dien, Truong Long, and An Binh ward to form interconnected tourist routes, diversify products, extend the length of stay of tourists, and aim for tourism development in an open space and regional linkage.

From the perspective of a business and an expert in agricultural tourism , Mr. Phan Dinh Hue – Director of Vietnam Circle Tourism Company – believes that Tan Hoa does not lack resources for tourism development but lacks distinctive products that tourists would be willing to spend money on to experience.

In particular, Tan Hoa is located quite close to Phong Dien commune – one of the main tourist centers of the Mekong Delta in general and Can Tho City in particular, with quite good revenue from agricultural tourism. Therefore, Tan Hoa has the potential to connect with the tourism market more easily.

Mr. Hue concluded that for the commune to successfully develop agricultural tourism, the commune leaders need to achieve four things: knowing, understanding, liking, and working together. He suggested that Tan Hoa commune should create conditions for officials to participate in tourism training programs and organize visits for farmers to learn from successful agricultural tourism models in other localities.

Because the localities in the Mekong Delta share many similarities in nature and culture, if tourism products do not create differentiation, it will be difficult to retain tourists. Farmers cannot engage in tourism with abstract concepts; they must "see with their own eyes and touch with their own hands" to form ideas and build the belief to begin implementation.

"The government needs to 'hold hands' with farmers for at least the next 5-10 years to support them with knowledge and skills in telling the story of their products. Farmers are inherently risk-averse; if they don't understand or like something, it's very difficult to persuade them. We need to create opportunities for them to visit and see the benefits firsthand so they can follow suit," Mr. Hue emphasized.

Mr. Sam Long Giang, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho City, assessed that, based on surveys conducted by travel businesses and experts, Tan Hoa commune has great potential for tourism development. In particular, it is expected that from 2026, Mekong Smile Company will bring tourists to Tan Hoa, opening up a positive signal for the linkage and development of tourism in the locality.

However, he also pointed out the bottlenecks that Tan Hoa tourism needs to overcome, such as the lack of synchronized transportation infrastructure, limited capital for businesses, and the tendency for products to be duplicated.

To realize the growth target, Mr. Giang suggested that Tan Hoa commune should focus on the following solutions: reviewing planning, developing policies to attract strategic investors to large-scale tourism projects; building unique products with their own brand based on the culture of the Xa No riverine area , avoiding copying existing models in the Mekong Delta; promoting tourism products on digital platforms; coordinating training in professional tourism skills for local people and officials. In particular, it is necessary to link with neighboring communes to create integrated tour routes, extending the length of stay for tourists.

On this occasion, the People's Committee of Tan Hoa commune signed a cooperation agreement with the Can Tho City Tourism Association to develop experiential tourism and community tourism in the area. In addition, tourism service businesses in the commune signed memoranda of cooperation with travel agencies, gradually forming a network of service providers to serve tourists.

With initial steps to reshape tourism products after the merger, Tan Hoa commune is determined to work alongside its people and businesses to connect and participate in agricultural tourism in a systematic, sustainable manner, commensurate with its existing potential and advantages. This will contribute positively to the overall development of tourism in Can Tho City in the coming years.