From lush green coffee hills to fragrant cups of coffee in tourists' hands, the journey of experiencing agriculture is being "recounted" in a lively way.
In Mat village (Chieng Mung commune), the "From Farm to Cup" model of K Coffee Mountain Hill is also a typical example. Models that link production with experience in the province are gradually attracting a large number of tourists. Here, tourists become "apprentice farmers" when participating in the entire Arabica coffee production process, from harvesting, roasting to mixing.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (Chieng Sinh ward) - a tourist coming to Mat village - shared: "The practical experience helps me understand more about the meticulousness of coffee farming. Since then, I have appreciated each coffee product from phin mixing to specialty coffee.
Mr. Vu Van Hop, representative of the operating unit, expressed: "We aim for an experiential tourism model associated with education, helping tourists understand the culture and labor values of local people.
This model not only increases the value of agricultural products but also creates jobs for many local workers.
Not only in Chieng Mung, many other localities are also effectively exploiting this direction. In Bun Bun (Chieng Coi ward), people take advantage of more than 300ha of rice, plums, and coffee to develop community tourism. Tourists can participate in harvesting agricultural products, enjoy traditional dishes and experience stilt house life.
According to Ms. Tong Thi Hoan - Secretary of the Party Cell - Village Head, determining to do tourism from agriculture and local culture both helps people increase income but still preserve their identity.
In Van Ho commune, Mr. Trang A Chu's Achu Homestay is not only a resting place, but also an experiential journey: picking plums, making paper, drawing beeswax, weaving brocade, learning H'Mong dance.
Mr. Trang A Chu shared: "The important thing is to help people recognize the value of their own agriculture and culture for sustainable development". Every year, this model brings stable income and creates jobs for many local workers.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Son La province, agricultural tourism is becoming a potential direction. When tourists directly participate in production, the value of products is not only in the goods but also in the experience, creating excitement for tourists when coming to Son La.
However, development still has limitations such as unsynchronized infrastructure and weak tourism skills of people.
Mr. Le Hong Chuong, Chairman of Son La Tourism Association, commented: "There needs to be more synchronous support policies on planning, training and promotion to form quality tourism products.
Along with that, the province is promoting the organization of festivals and festivals on agricultural products, connecting tourism with the agricultural market, and gradually building its own brand.
Reality shows that the trend of experiential tourism and green tourism is increasingly popular. This is an opportunity for Son La to promote its advantages in nature, agricultural products and culture.
From coffee hills, strawberry gardens, grape gardens, plum gardens laden with fruit to community tourism villages, agricultural tourism areas are contributing to awakening the potential of the highlands. Through this, each agricultural product is not only a commodity, but also a cultural story, creating a unique attraction for Son La on the tourism map.
