For years, Tan Loc Islet has exploited tourism. With each new visit, tourists are always enthusiastic about the new models of ecotourism “made by farmers”. Leading us to the fish breeding pond, framed by rows of green Burmese grape trees with the branches laden with fruit and bell apple trees in the full fruit season, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hoang, from the hamlet of Dong Binh, Tan Loc district told us: “At my house, the main model of agritourism is based on existing resources. I own 1.2 ha of land. I had planted mandarin trees and other varieties but it did not add much value. In 2003, I switched to the An Phuoc bell apple cultivation. Currently, in my orchard, I have planted 500 An Phuoc bell apple trees, over 30 green Burmese grape trees, and 120 green grapefruit trees. A good harvest and a good selling price bring me around 300 million Vietnam dong per year ”.

By combining with the agricultural model, Mr. Hoang recently initiated additional tourism services at home such as eating, picking fruit, and enjoying the clean air. From the first opening, Mr. Hoang won more than 50 million Vietnam dong. Soon, Mr. Hoang will invest even more in this tourism model, with the construction of beautiful landscapes in miniature and local cuisine to attract visitors. According to Hoang, this good result is achieved thanks to the support of the local authority, the Union of Farmers of Tan Loc, and the Union of Farmers of Thot Not District.

Through professional short and long-term tourism trainings he had completed, Mr. Hoang acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to help him courageously invest in tourism. He is one of the 7 members of a group of gardeners specialized in the cultivation of bell apple from the hamlet of Dong Binh, district of Tan Loc. Not only Mr. Hoang, but the other members of the group also attended the vocational training in tourism. Being farmers and little knowledge about tourism, after attending training courses, they gained relational skills and knowledge towards visitors. In addition, they can apply for preferential loans from the Union of Farmers to expand production.

Not only in Tan Loc district but in other provinces, the economic model of combining agricultural and tourist services is spreading more and more. In the district of Trung Kien, the model of bell apple culture of Mrs. Luong Thi Gieng, head of the cooperative group of this culture of the hamlet of Qui Thanh 2, is well known to many tourists. In the past, Ms. Gieng's family grew only rice. For 4 years, she adopted this model. While exploiting this culture, she offered tourist services in her orchard, attracting hundreds of visitors, especially on holidays and New Years.

According to Mr. Nguyen Chi Huong, Vice President of the Union of Farmers of Thot Not District, developing agriculture in conjunction with tourism is a new prospect for local farmers. Recently, the Union of Farmers of Thot Not District has taken steps to support farmers in agricultural development in the district. Each year, the Standing Committee of Thot Not District’s Union of Farmers signs agreements with relevant entities to develop plans, review the needs of member farmers, and organize appropriate training. Not only tourism career training, the Union of Farmers still organizes 12 to 14 agricultural and non-agricultural career internships for their members every year. And in addition, the union creates good conditions for them for loans, purchase of plants, seedlings, and so on. So far, Thot Not District’s Union of Farmers has supported more than 3,700 members in loans Vietnam bank for social policies (VBSP), that is to say, an amount of more than 106 billion Vietnam dong to develop economic models, etc. On the other hand, the Union of Farmers is interested in regrouping its members in different levels, favoring the formation of cooperative and cooperative groups, thus creating more jobs and help farmers improve their income.

According to the leaders of Thot Not District’s Union of Farmers, in the future, this organization continues to examine the vocational training needs of workers in the district by improving the quality of training, coordinating between departments to provide members with information on jobs and services. With this support, farmers could develop the economy through the combination of agriculture and tourism services. As a result, they will create a lever in the socio-economic development of the district.