Online travel to rural areas, you can satisfy your cravings by exploring through 4.0 technology.

Whenever you're free, try opening YouTube, the largest video-sharing platform in the world, and type the keywords "miền Tây" into the search box. Oh my, you'll surely be overwhelmed by the plethora of YouTube channels and clips associated with the two words "miền Tây" and content about the Southwestern region of Vietnam.

View attachment 587 Illustrative image.

Now, all you need is to sit at home, and you can freely travel across rural areas not only in Vietnam but around the world through videos on YouTube. Diverse and eye-catching, especially with the videos of real people and real activities, showcasing the real life with various aspects of rural living are now “on screen, on air,” spreading across every corner of the earth.
Besides YouTube or television, people can also travel online to rural areas through social networks and websites. If you love traveling but haven't had the chance to "grab a backpack and go," you can satisfy your desire by exploring rural areas online. If you get the opportunity to travel, you can also gather useful information and experiences shared online by experienced travelers. You can also enjoy complete services such as booking tours, purchasing bus or flight tickets, reserving accommodations… everything is available online. It can be said that now you lack nothing except… money!
Nowadays, almost all localities and tourist destinations have their own websites and fan pages on the Internet. The tourism industry and tourism promotion centers have been online for a long time.
The Vietnam Postal and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) announced in late August 2023: The successful application of the VNPT Smart Tourism smart tourism ecosystem into tourism development has contributed to our country achieving significant progress in attracting domestic and foreign tourists as well as improving the effectiveness of management and enhancing the quality of services in the non-smoke industry in many provinces and cities across the country.
In the past, planning for each trip was mostly done manually; people would search the internet for information about destinations, refer to reviews, and experiences randomly; today, with the development of digital technology, this has become easier and more convenient. Instead of relying on non-official channels disseminated by businesses and small units, many of which offer unverified information, to avoid the situation of "selling dog meat in place of goat," being scammed and losing money while feeling frustrated, people tend to seek reliable information sources, especially those controlled by management and functional bodies. However, the major limitation of these traditional sources is the dullness and one-dimensional nature of the information.
That is also the reason why, as early as 2019, understanding the actual situation and facing the opportunities and challenges of the 4.0 era, the Vietnam Tourism Administration collaborated with VNPT to launch the VNPT Smart Tourism Ecosystem. For the first time, a national database on tourism, fully integrating all information in the field from 63 provinces and cities across the country has been formed and directly connected with data from the Vietnam Tourism Administration, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of each province. This not only meets the trend of the digital age but also marks a rapid advancement for Vietnam's non-smoke industry in the face of the increasingly high and diverse demands of both domestic and foreign tourists.
Possessing a massive database including information, images, multimedia… integrated with advanced technologies like AR/VR (augmented reality and virtual reality), artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and blockchain… VNPT Smart Tourism easily meets all customers' needs with just "one touch," becoming increasingly practical.
Currently, VNPT Smart Tourism remains one of the few applications recognized as fully complying with the connection regulations of the state management system in creating a rich ecosystem including: an integrated tourism data warehouse; a tourism information portal; a mobile tourism application; digital maps; accommodation management systems; intelligent data analysis and tourism forecasting systems; and tools to support tourism information…
For each traveler, VNPT Smart Tourism provides comprehensive, reliable information about destinations, service prices, suggestions on where to eat, stay, play, transportation, events, festivals, and shopping, all provided in detail to facilitate easy and economical trip planning. Even after each trip, travelers can review their notes, personal images, write reviews, and share their itineraries and images with friends on VNPT Smart Tourism. When necessary, travelers can also directly contact the management agency via phone hotlines or emails provided on these information channels.
Currently, VNPT Smart Tourism is officially provided to dozens of provinces across the country and continues to be tested in many localities: Hanoi, Lao Cai, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, Dak Lak, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Hoa Binh, Dong Nai, Vinh Long, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Can Tho…
View attachment 588 The travel app helps travelers easily find information in just one “touch.”

It can be said that never before has rural tourism been so bustling as it is now, especially after a long period of being "locked down" due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rural tourism is not only for admiring nature and countryside but also an opportunity for tourists to directly experience life with activities unique to rural residents. Tourists can stay with farmers, try grinding rice, fishing, throwing nets, draining ponds, catching snails, and crabs, plowing… or make traditional dishes and cakes.
Agricultural tourism and rural tourism are practical needs worldwide, especially in agricultural countries like Vietnam. The English term for this activity is "Agritourism." This type of rural tourism has long existed with names like eco-tourism, community tourism, experiential tourism, farm stays, cottage holidays, homestays, village stays… Evidence shows that linking tourism with rural areas not only helps increase farmers' income but also lays the foundation for improving and upgrading the rural landscape. As a result, rural areas become more livable, and farmers are more motivated and secure in living in rural areas – a sustainable development.
Mr. Đỗ Tấn Sơn, Chief of the Coordination Office of the National Target Program for New Rural Construction in Ha Giang province, stated that currently Ha Giang province has 16 villages recognized as having completed the criteria for cultural community tourism villages. Most cultural community tourism villages meet the New Rural criteria and serve as models for other localities to replicate. From the resources of this program and other programs, communes in mountainous areas with tourism potential will be supported to develop infrastructure, landscape, and environment, opening up opportunities for tourism development.
On August 22, 2023, the luxury cruise ship Spectrum of the Seas, with more than 4,000 multinational tourists, docked at Tan Cang - Cai Mep Port in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. About two-thirds of the guests left the cruise ship to participate in countryside tours in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, including visits to Cao Dai Holy See, Ho Phap Pagoda, Hoa Long Market, the rice wine-making profession in Ba Ria City, the traditional rice paper making of An Ngai, and the ancient Nguyen Hoang house in Long Dien district… Other groups participated in experiential tours in the waterway southern region at Cai Be (Tien Giang province). This is indeed a timely testament to the increasing demand of foreign tourists for rural tourism when visiting Vietnam.
According to the e-newspaper of the Communist Party of Vietnam, on July 24, 2023, Nông thôn Ngày nay/Dân Việt newspaper collaborated with the Department of Market Development and Enterprises in Science and Technology (Ministry of Science and Technology) to organize an online conference with the theme: “Challenges in startup agritourism and rural tourism.” In terms of state management, the National Target Program for New Rural Construction has its own project on developing agricultural and rural tourism. On August 2, 2022, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 922/QĐ-TTg approving the program to develop rural tourism in constructing New Rural areas from 2021 to 2025. People's Committees of provinces and cities have also approved initiatives for developing rural tourism in their localities.
Experts assess that with seven ecological regions, a tropical agriculture sector with diverse products, Vietnam holds enormous potential for developing agricultural and rural tourism.
View attachment 589 An eco-tourism site in the rural area of Vĩnh Hưng district, Long An province.

Dr. Nguyễn Tất Thắng, Deputy Head of the Foreign Language Tourism Department at Vietnam National University of Agriculture, said: “Agricultural tourism helps increase the value of agricultural products efficiently, helps farmers live healthily and happily, and boost their incomes from their products. The Vietnam National University of Agriculture has trained diverse skills, from foreign language learning, marketing, to organizing tours and routes… attracting young people passionate about agriculture and life sciences.”
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development stated that to improve the effectiveness of developing agricultural and rural tourism sustainably, it is necessary to focus on six groups of solutions. Among them, changing the mindset towards sustainable agricultural and rural tourism, “diversity in unity.” At the same time, it is essential to have appropriate mechanisms and policies to boost agricultural and rural tourism development.
In a lengthy article in Nông Nghiệp Việt Nam newspaper, author Xích Lô asserts that the project of developing agricultural and rural tourism is a key component of the "rural economy."
However, specialists caution that although this is part of the rural economy, before implementing agricultural and rural tourism, we should not immediately think about how much money farmers will earn - although that is an inevitable consequence. Agricultural and rural tourism must be linked with rural development and new rural construction. This activity must be regarded as a service, implemented systematically and professionally, as delicately as any other type of tourism, and must especially incorporate the values and cultural identities of each locality and ethnic group. It can be said that agricultural and rural tourism is to exploit the natural rural landscapes, agricultural occupations, and traditional rural life combined with the local cultural identity.
And of course, this is a not short or small story, one full of responsibility and requiring the cooperation of farmers and relevant organizations and authorities like the tourism sector, farmers' associations, content providers, and telecom companies…
In a presentation on "Enhancing the Effectiveness of Agricultural and Rural Tourism Development," Mr. Lê Minh Hoan, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, pointed out five limitations this type is facing: Not recognizing the potential of this tourism type, lack of interest and facilitation for development. Spontaneity, lack of differentiation, and lack of connection. No collaboration, lack of community benefit sharing. Promotion, connection, and consulting are inadequate. The mechanisms and policies of support have not become a motivation for developing to the right potential.
And the Minister proposed solutions for overcoming these issues: Changing the mindset about the importance and value of agricultural and rural tourism. Integrating agricultural and rural tourism planning into the national tourism system's overall planning. Developing agricultural and rural tourism sustainably, inclusively, and with multiple values. Strengthening connections in agricultural and rural tourism. Changing the way agricultural and rural tourism is promoted and presented at both national and local levels. Removing obstacles to mechanisms and policies.
More than anything else, Vietnam has an advantage in agricultural and rural tourism, primarily because it is a country, a nation with a traditional agricultural history of thousands of years.
Minister Lê Minh Hoan of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development invites: “I hope many people come to experience agricultural and rural tourism activities and services to feel the “fresh breeze, new vitality” from the rural communities working together in tourism.”

Source: https://nongthonviet.com.vn/du-lich-online-ve-nong-thon.ngn