Exploiting the potential for developing agricultural tourism

The Dak Lak highlands are famous for their vast coffee gardens, pepper, avocado, durian, and macadamia farms. Meanwhile, Phu Yen (old) has lush rice fields, fertile coconut gardens, and traditional craft villages such as flower growing and shrimp farming. This combination creates a colorful agricultural picture, from the highlands to the coastal plains. In addition, the province is home to 49 ethnic groups, with rich cultures, festivals, and cuisine.

In the western part of Dak Lak, agricultural tourism focuses on coffee trees. During the coffee harvest season, visitors can participate in coffee picking, learn about the drying and roasting process, and enjoy a cup of strong coffee right in the garden. Tours also include horse riding, camping, or participating in gong festivals in villages such as Ako Dhong and Nieng 3. In addition to coffee, pepper and macadamia farms, fruit orchards such as avocado and durian are also attractive destinations. Visitors can harvest agricultural products themselves, learn how to process them, and enjoy dishes such as avocado with milk, fresh durian, or salted roasted macadamia nuts.

Tourists experience coffee harvesting. Photo: Huu Hung

In the East of Dak Lak , the vast rice fields and flower growing villages are special highlights... Visitors can participate in rice planting, rice harvesting or learn how to make rice products such as banh chung and banh tet. Coconut gardens in Song Cau ward are an ideal place to experience coconut picking, drinking fresh coconut water and learning how to make handmade coconut oil. A unique activity in this area is participating in lobster farming in coastal fishing villages in Xuan Dai Bay and O Loan Lagoon. Visitors can join fishermen in releasing shrimp seeds, taking care of shrimp and enjoying grilled lobster right on the spot. These experiences bring a new feeling and help visitors understand more about the seafood industry - the strength of this land.

Agricultural tourism in Dak Lak is an opportunity for visitors to explore the cultural exchange between the highlands and the coast. Many villages in Buon Ma Thuot ward, Lien Son Lak commune, Buon Don commune still retain the unique features of Ede and M'nong culture. Visitors can participate in gong festivals, learn to weave brocade, or experience walking with elephants in Buon Don. Traditional long houses, rituals such as the new rice celebration, and the water trough worshiping ceremony provide an insight into the cultural life of ethnic minorities.

In particular, Yok Don National Park is a large special-use forest with a unique dipterocarp forest ecosystem. Here, visitors can explore biodiversity, row boats on the Serepok River, or learn about intercropped agricultural crops such as coffee and pepper. This is an ideal destination to combine agricultural tourism and nature exploration.

In addition, when coming to Dak Lak, visitors cannot miss Dray Nur waterfall, about 25 km from Buon Ma Thuot. This is an ideal destination for sightseeing and visiting nearby coffee and pepper gardens. Trung Nguyen Coffee Village, with its lively museum space, is where visitors learn about the history of Vietnamese coffee and enjoy specialty coffees.

In the East, visitors can immerse themselves in Cham culture through the Rija Nagar festival, visit Nhan tower - a famous Champa relic. Traditional craft villages such as Quang Duc pottery, Phu Tan sedge mat weaving are interesting destinations. Typical dishes such as ocean tuna eyes, O Loan blood cockles also bring interesting experiences. In particular, in the Ganh Da Dia area, Vung Ro Bay, visitors can combine sightseeing with coastal agricultural experiences, with old fishing villages along the sea, which will bring opportunities to learn about aquaculture and fishing. In Song Cau, there is a coral reef that was recently honored at the Southeast Asia Luxury Awards 2025.

Despite possessing great potential, agricultural tourism in Dak Lak is facing many challenges that need to be identified in order to have synchronous solutions to overcome in the coming time.

It can be pointed out as: unsynchronized infrastructure, especially traffic routes and facilities at coastal tourist destinations; lack of high-quality human resources in the tourism sector (tour guides and staff serving agricultural tourism are still limited in foreign language skills, professional knowledge of agricultural tourism and the ability to organize unique experiences). The province has not yet built its own brand for agricultural tourism, leading to difficulty in competing with famous destinations such as Da Lat, Nha Trang, Hoi An.

Natural wonder of Ganh Da Dia. Photo: Le Thanh

Besides, the development of agricultural tourism, if not strictly managed, can affect agricultural land, water resources and natural ecosystems, especially in national parks and coastal areas...

To bring Dak Lak agrotourism to the national and international level, in the coming time, the province needs to implement synchronous solutions, focusing on investing in synchronous, modern and regionally connected infrastructure. The province needs to upgrade the transportation system, especially the routes connecting the highlands to the coastal areas. Build resorts, homestays and environmentally friendly accommodation facilities at agrotourism destinations.

Organize short-term and long-term human resource training to understand the nature of agricultural tourism, welcome tourists warmly and friendly. Organize training courses on tour guide skills, foreign languages and experience management for local people.

Encourage the participation of villagers and fishing villages in tourism activities to create jobs and increase income. Build agro-tourism brand, emphasizing the combination of highlands and coastal areas. Promote through media campaigns, international tourism fairs and cooperation with major travel companies.

Issue appropriate and feasible criteria for recognizing agricultural tourism sites to protect the environment. Develop a comprehensive agricultural tourism development plan, taking advantage of the strengths of both highland culture and agricultural products, coastal culture and aquatic products. Use technology to promote tourism, provide information about farms, festival schedules, and book tours online. Take advantage of social networks to attract international tourists.

Dr. Pham S

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/kinh-te/202507/khai-pha-tiem-nang-phat-trien-du-lich-canh-nong-30712e1/