Legal framework is key to Hanoi agritourism

Outside Hanoi, Ba Vi Homestead in Ba Vi District's Van Hoa Commune has been a popular agritourism destination for Hanoi residents and visitors from neighboring areas for years.

Ngo Kieu Oanh, the farm owner, said it took lots of effort to create such an agritourism product. They have built four handicraft villages to create new tours where visitors can experience the cultural space of the Muong and Dao people.

Many homestays in the city are developed and operated by local investors. Photos: Ba Vi Homestead

"The intangible values inherent in agritourism properties contribute to their appeal, yet currently, this sector lacks proper valuation, leading to inaccurate pricing of such facilities," she pointed out.

Tour operator Nguyen Kieu My, who runs an agritourism service business in Yen Bai Commune in the same district, said the development of agrotourism requires flexibility and diverse tourism products. "But the current legal framework does not completely meet these needs, which hinders investment and development," she explained.

She added that the specific valuation of tourism real estate in agricultural and rural areas had not been adequately established, posing challenges in attracting extensive and comprehensive investments.

The approval and license of agrotourism projects remain complicated and cumbersome, Vu Huy Nam, Secretary of the Kim Son Commune Party Committee, said, adding that delays in this process can lead to uncertainty and losses of investors, probably affecting the development of agrotourism.

Nguyen Viet Giao, Secretary of the Party Committee of Yen Bai Commune, commented on the obstacles to the development of the segment, saying that the commune is striving to become an attractive tourism destination for agricultural and rural models.

"However, the agricultural tourism model is mainly spontaneous, small-scale, and has not been properly evaluated and monitored. This is also a common shortcoming of many agrotourism models," he said. 

Building a complete legal framework 

Local visitors enjoy catching fish at Ba Vi Homestead.

Experts from the Vietnam Real Estate Association (VNREA) and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism made many suggestions to promote the agrotourism property market at a workshop in May.

VNREA Chairman Nguyen Van Khoi said the issue of land use rights holds great significance in advancing agrotourism real estate. It is essential for an agrotourism venture to encompass a proper farm rather than being limited to a small garden with a house. However, many obstacles related to land use permits for agrotourism require cooperation between relevant agencies.

Nguyen Quang Tuyen, Dean of the Faculty of Business Law at Hanoi Law University, added that the agrotourism model is not specifically mentioned or highlighted in the current regulations. The rights and obligations of organizations and individuals developing agrotourism, or incentives and supporting policies have not been specifically regulated in the Tourism Law, Tuyen added.

Nguyen Manh Thang, Chairman of the Hanoi Travel Association, said the State should simplify the approval and licensing process for agrotourism projects with a clear, transparent, and consistent process in support of technology.