Developing craft villages in combination with agricultural and rural cultural tourism

Hanoi city's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is currently providing consultations on the comprehensive craft village development project for Hanoi. During a dialogue with delegates from the business community, cooperatives, and production households in craft villages across the city, Director Nguyen Xuan Dai outlined an overview of the project.

Accordingly, the project's key objectives include fostering a multi-valued economy; promoting the development of craft villages in association with agricultural and rural cultural tourism; creating employment opportunities for rural workers; and preserving traditional craft values. The project's central task involves addressing the challenges in connecting raw material regions within Hanoi, thereby establishing a stable supply chain of raw materials to promote sustainable craft village development. Additionally, the project aims to improve infrastructure to support production, trading activities and facilitate tourism development.

The project also outlined specific crafts, along with their corresponding villages, for development in association with tourism. On the other hand, crafts that cause environmental pollution are slated for relocation to concentrated industrial zones.

Additionally, the project will encourage skilled craftsmen and workers to participate in training activities, with the aim of preserving and developing craft traditions for future generations. Moreover, the project will focus on the application of advanced scientific and technical innovations to create unique products that enhance the value of craft village goods.

Regarding current activities in craft villages, representatives from the business community and cooperatives expressed a strong interest in developing craft village tourism through organized tour routes. Phuong Dong Furniture Development Co., Ltd., located in Ha Khe Hamlet, Van Ha Commune, Dong Anh District, has proposed further investment in developing tourism sites within craft villages to promote products and supply raw materials.

In response, Hanoi city's Department of Tourism acknowledged the practicality of these suggestions. Notably, the Department collaborated with local district authorities to announce the tourist route Central Hanoi - Thanh Oai - Ung Hoa - My Duc under the theme "The Heritage Trail of South Thang Long - Hanoi - Returning to the Roots” in April 2024.

Between 2024 and 2025, the Department of Tourism will continue improving unique local products, with an emphasis on the values of heritage, monuments and craft villages, along the Central Hanoi - Thanh Tri - Thuong Tin - Phu Xuyen route.

With the goal of enhancing tourist service skills, the Department will organize conferences to improve the quality of tourist destinations in association with the values of heritage, monuments and craft villages. Additionally, the Department will coordinate with travel businesses across Hanoi to conduct knowledge enhancement workshops and capacity-building sessions.

In addition, Hanoi city's Department of Industry and Trade has proposed support for establishing a creative design center, and promoting products through social media platforms.

The Department of Industry and Trade has actively organized information dissemination programs regarding the operations of creative design centers, as well as promoting and selling OCOP and craft village products in association with tourism on various media and social networks.

Regarding support for businesses participating in exhibitions, the leadership of the Hanoi Promotion Agency is actively organizing and participating in numerous trade fairs, exhibitions in Hanoi and across the country. During these events, the Agency has established exhibition spaces to showcase and demonstrate craft village products, with the aim of promoting the products to tourists, businesses, distribution channels, and importers.

These activities provide businesses with opportunities to promote and introduce their products to both domestic and international consumers. The Agency will suggest Hanoi authorities to continue organizing similar trade fair programs in the near future, thereby delivering OCOP and craft village products from local businesses to consumers.

Hanoi People's Committee organized a conference on July 5, 2024, to address challenges and promote business activities for businesses, cooperatives, and production households operating in craft villages across the city.

The conference was chaired by Tran Sy Thanh, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee. The event saw the participation of representatives from various associations and 136 businesses, cooperatives, production households from the city's craft villages.

Hanoi, known as the "Land of a Hundred Crafts," accounts for 56% of the country's total number of craft villages. The city currently houses 1,350 craft villages, including 331 recognized traditional craft villages, which represent 47 out of the 52 traditional crafts nationwide. These villages are distributed across 25 districts, towns, and communes within Hanoi city.

Consequently, the conservation and development of craft villages in association with cultural, agricultural, and rural tourism offer multi-valued economic benefits to the local community. The conservation and development of craft villages involve preserving cultural spaces as well as flexibly integrating these villages into new rural development policies.