On the afternoon of October 13, comrade Nguyen Long Bien, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, led a working delegation to conduct a field survey on the potential for community-based tourism development in Van Thang Commune. Joining the delegation were leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Provincial Tourism Association, as well as representatives of departments, sectors, localities, and tourism businesses.
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| Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Long Bien presents a souvenir to Van Thang Agarwood Craft Village. |
At the working session, leaders of Van Thang Commune reported on the potential for community-based tourism development associated with the agarwood carving craft village in Phu Hoi 1 Village. The craft village was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as a traditional craft village in 2016 and as a destination with potential for community-based tourism development in 2023.
Currently, the craft village has about 400 households participating in production, creating regular employment for more than 1,000 workers. In Phu Hoi 1 Village alone, over 90% of households engage in the agarwood craft. The average income of workers reaches about 6 million VND/person/month. The craft village's products are diverse, including agarwood incense, agarwood chips, agarwood bracelets, and agarwood fine arts and handicrafts, with several products achieving 3- to 4-star OCOP certification.
In recent times, the craft village is estimated to have welcomed around 500 domestic and international visitors who came to tour, learn, and purchase products, primarily through recommendations and spontaneous connections.
Besides production activities, the locality also possesses cultural, spiritual values and rural landscapes that can be harnessed to serve visitors exploring community life. Prominent among them are provincial-level historical relics such as Phu Hoi Communal House, Phu Hoi Mausoleum, Quang Hoi Communal House, Quang Hoi Mausoleum, Binh Trung Communal House, and Trung Dong Communal House, which preserve many royal ordinations from the Nguyen Dynasty. About 1km from the craft village center, there is a row of centuries-old sao trees recognized as heritage trees. These are favorable factors for establishing tour routes that combine craft village experiences with learning about local culture.
Despite having many advantages, tourism activities in the craft village are still spontaneous; production households have not yet connected to form tourism product chains; spaces for display and craft introduction have not been effectively utilized; and the collective brand of the craft village has not fully realized its value.
To realize its potential, Van Thang commune proposed developing a project to develop the space, ecosystem, and brand of Van Thang agarwood village in connection with the Van Phong Economic Zone for the 2026 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2045. The locality also recommended support for establishing the collective trademark "Van Thang Agarwood", organizing product exhibitions and showcases, developing craft experience activities, and boosting promotion on digital platforms.
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| Comrade Nguyen Long Bien and the working delegation conducted a survey in Van Thang commune. |
Through the survey, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Long Bien requested the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with the People's Committee of Van Thang Commune to build a tourism product chain connecting the agarwood craft village with destinations in Dai Lanh commune and surrounding areas. Relevant departments and branches must urgently provide feedback and finalize the Van Thang Agarwood Village Development Project. The Department of Science and Technology shall advise on a document proposing that the Ministry of Science and Technology issue agarwood standards, while accelerating the approval of the collective trademark "Van Thang Agarwood".
For the locality, Comrade Nguyen Long Bien requested continuing to promote the craft village's values, developing community-based tourism spaces linked to indigenous culture, and mobilizing household producers to join cooperatives to strengthen linkages, enhance the value of agarwood products, and create sustainable livelihoods for local people.
TRAN HANG
