Farmstay – Agricultural tourism, or garden-based tourism, is an emerging trend, bursting forth in recent years, still harboring vast potential for development. To present students with an in-depth perspective on this business model, within the ‘Sustainable Tourism Development’ course, Master Nguyen Van Dong invited Mr. Trinh Van Thanh, the Director of Thanh Dat Cacao Trading-Service-Manufacturing Limited Company, to share insights on the theme ‘Organic Cacao Development Model combined with Tourism.’
Mr. Trinh Van Thanh is an expert with over 20 years of experience in Cacao cultivation and tourism development. Besides serving as the Director of Thanh Dat Cacao Trading-Service-Manufacturing Limited Company, he’s also the Co-founder of the OCA Japan Chocolate Company in Vietnam. Furthermore, he actively engages in training activities in organic farming practices for farmers to increase both the quantity and quality of produce. Leveraging his knowledge and experience, he built the Organic Cacao development model combined with tourism. Thanh Dat Cacao’s products possess numerous quality certifications for Organic produce and meet all criteria for export to Japan and European countries.
The combined agriculture-tourism model represents a new direction for sustainable tourism development. Businesses can capitalize on the advantages of the existing agricultural business model to integrate it with tourism activities. Simultaneously, tourists receive fresh experiences and gain trust in purchasing agricultural products after direct visits. Recognizing the potential and urgency of this subject, Master Nguyen Van Dong invited Mr. Trinh Van Thanh to share his firsthand experiences and the successes achieved in developing the Farmstay Cacao Thanh Dat agriculture-tourism model.
In attendance, the K19 Hotel Management students learned the process of building an agricultural tourism ecosystem, starting from the basics of cultivation, caring for organic produce, diversifying products, constructing tourism models, business strategies, marketing, and customer service. Regarding the ‘Organic Cacao Development Model combined with Tourism’ case study, students learned about Cacao plant specifics, harvest times, basic soil knowledge, and climate, primarily focusing on the Chau Duc, Vung Tau region, organic farming methods, and the strategy to diversify Cacao products, such as chocolates, Cacao drinks, fermented Cacao, powder, and various butter confections. When equipped with a solid agricultural foundation, the expansion into tourism models, business strategies, customer attraction, and service is possible. Additionally, the speaker further expanded their knowledge by discussing the international certification process and export procedures for Cacao to the Japanese and European markets.
Offering fresh, practical, and highly applicable knowledge, the seminar unfolded with an incredibly lively atmosphere. Lecturers, guests, and students engaged actively, indulging in interactive discussions. Most students expressed satisfaction with the seminar’s quality, some even revealed their enthusiasm, nurturing dreams for this form of sustainable tourism development.
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NTT INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION – NGUYEN TAT THANH UNIVERSITY
GLOBAL LEARNING – GLOBAL SUCCESS
Address: 458/3F Nguyen Huu Tho, Tan Hung Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City
Hotline: 0934 116 244 / 0938 116 244
Email: niie@ntt.edu.vn
