Integrating OCOP with Tourism: A Creative Path to build Phu Tho's brand on the tourism map
WVR - The sacred land of the Hung Kings – Phu Tho – is gradually asserting its position as a highlight in new rural development with a creative approach. The province has integrated the "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) program with experiential and community tourism.
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| Xuan Son community tourism is the first OCOP tourism service product in Phu Tho province to be recognized. (Photo: Nhi Ha) |
OCOP products have been contributing to promoting the potential and strengths of culture, cuisine, tourism services, the land, and people of Phu Tho to a wide range of domestic and international tourists. They help preserve, promote, and honor the unique traditional cultural values of the locality, thereby boosting local tourism and agricultural economy.
The province has implemented the integration of OCOP products into tourist attractions and resorts, thereby promoting flagship products, introducing regional culinary values, and expanding consumption markets, connecting and trading OCOP products of Phu Tho province.
OCOP and Tourism: A perfect combination
Phu Tho province currently has 593 OCOP products rated 3 stars or higher, including 5 products rated 5 stars. Through the OCOP program, the value of goods from OCOP products has increased by 15-20%. Many certified OCOP products have long been renowned.
The promotion of OCOP products is closely linked with the tourism activities of Phu Tho province. Local specialties have been branded to serve culinary needs in tourism activities. Products like Doan Hung pomelo, Phu Tho green tea, cassava cake, Chung cake, Giay cake from the Land of the Hung Kings, Qua Den sticky rice, Ta Pagoda green tea, Doc Den tea, My Lung Ga Gay sticky rice, Duc My soy sauce, Hung Lo rice noodles, Thuy Tram red carp, Da River cage fish, and Tan Son multi-spurred chicken have become known, tasted, and purchased as gifts by tourists visiting the Land of the Hung Kings.
The locality has leveraged its pristine, beautiful natural landscapes to produce OCOP products, allowing tourists to visit, check-in, and learn about the production process of local OCOP products. Through experiential tourism, many OCOP products are consumed more, providing stable income for local people.
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| Thanh Son fermented pork is always prioritized on the menu for tourists visiting Thanh Son district. (Photo: Ha Duong) |
For example, Thanh Son has long been famous for its fermented pork, a culinary essence of the Muong ethnic group in the Land of the Hung Kings. Fermented pork is not just a traditional dish of the Muong people but also a culinary heritage passed down by ancestors.
Thanh Son fermented pork is truly enticing with the sweetness of lean meat; the crunchiness of the skin, the richness of the fat, the astringent and fragrant taste of guava leaves; the saltiness of salt, and the aroma of roasted rice and corn.
The fermented pork from Thanh Son Cooperative is always prioritized on the menu for tourists visiting Thanh Son district. At trade promotion fairs, Phu Tho province's trade connection events, OCOP product introduction points, and community eco-tourism sites in Phu Tho province, Thanh Son fermented pork is also available to meet the demand for gifts and souvenirs from tourists.
In Tan Son, with the determination to build the first OCOP product on rural tourism in the province, the district has developed many sites associated with recreational activities at Xuan Son National Park, such as water wheels and Xuan Son flower road tourism.
By the end of 2022, the "Xuan Son Community Tourism" product from the Xuan Son Community Tourism Service Cooperative was recognized as a 3-star OCOP product. This is the first OCOP tourism service product in Phu Tho province to be recognized.
Additionally, in Tam Dao commune, there are currently 19 OCOP products meeting 3-4 star standards. Many OCOP products have been embraced by consumers both domestically and internationally, contributing to economic development and improving income for residents. Notable examples include cordyceps mushrooms, golden flower tea, and Tam Dao chayote.
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| The eco-tourism model of Dai Lai Cooperative (Xuan Hoa ward, Phu Tho). (Photo: PV) |
Retaining tourists with local specialties
In its development orientation, Phu Tho province aims to develop tourism into a spearhead economic sector, serving as a driving force for growth and economic restructuring. With its inherent potential and advantages, the province is focusing on implementing comprehensive solutions to develop tourism, making Phu Tho an attractive, safe, and friendly tourist destination.
According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Phu Tho province, in the first nine months of 2025, the province is estimated to welcome approximately 12.15 million visitors. Total tourism revenue for the nine months is estimated at 12.32 trillion VND.
These figures indicate that integrating OCOP product development with tourism is expected to maximize investment resources. OCOP products enrich the tourism program, attract tourists, while tourism activities contribute to the consumption and value enhancement of OCOP products.
OCOP products, when combined with tourism, will enhance on-site consumption, increase real experiences, and keep tourists longer at the destination.
Key tourism events in the province, such as the Hung Kings' Memorial Rituals (Gio To), Land of the Hung Kings Tourism Week, Doan Hung Pomelo Festival, and Vietnamese Goods Week, all incorporate OCOP product introductions, creating opportunities for enterprises and cooperatives to connect directly with consumers and tourism businesses.
To effectively develop OCOP products linked with tourism, in the coming time, Phu Tho will mobilize resources from programs and projects to support enterprises and production facilities with capital and technology transfer. Additionally, the province will promote the establishment of community tourism routes connected to OCOP product production areas.
The province also aims to build community tourism routes combined with craft villages and OCOP products in localities such as Thanh Son (fermented pork, tea), Lam Thao (Tai cake), Yen Lap (corn wine with leaf yeast, Ga Gáy sticky rice), contributing to diversifying tourism products and creating stable income sources for residents.
The integration of the OCOP program with tourism development in Phu Tho will contribute to preserving traditional cultural values and affirming the brand of the Land of the Hung Kings on the domestic and international tourism map.
