Strawberries, tomatoes, hydroponic vegetables... 'welcome' guests

Difference in difference

Just taking visitors up the steps of the coffee lounge area, Mr. Tran Huy Duong (owner of Green Box agricultural tourism establishment on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Street, Ward 7, Da Lat City, Lam Dong) pointed to the area. overhead greenhouse and said: "Now we come to the garden of strawberries, cherry tomatoes, raspberries... All are produced in an organic direction, ensuring food safety criteria. people can pick and enjoy on the spot."

Green Box agricultural tourist area was built by Mr. Tran Huy Duong 6 years ago with a total area of about 0.5ha. This area was divided by him, using a quarter of the area as a cafe infrastructure, placing tables and chairs as a welcome point for visitors, the rest is located in a higher position and he installed a greenhouse system. , staging house to grow vegetables, flowers for guests to experience.

While picking berry red cherry tomatoes to invite guests, the owner of Green Box agricultural tourist resort just confessed: "Previously, I worked as the Director of LangBiang Farm Company, a company specializing in the production of vegetables and flowers in Da Lat. When he reached retirement age, he started to build a model of agricultural tourism to fulfill his wish.Green Box is not large in scale, but I determined that this must be the highlight, must bring unique value, make an impression, I have put all my heart into doing it."

After completing the infrastructure, Mr. Duong plans to produce agricultural products with characteristics of the foggy country. Agricultural products such as strawberries, cherry tomatoes, raspberries, giant pumpkins, hydroponic vegetables, etc. are planned and produced scientifically by him. The agricultural products do not have enough space to grow, he associates and joint ventures with local people to do. The production must also follow the guarantee of the highest quality, design and especially value for difference.

The owner of Green Box confessed that Da Lat is like a garden with hundreds of flowers blooming. If you do not make a difference, without the investment to promote your own strengths, it is very difficult to succeed.

"I think God gives each person their own strengths, their own advantages and the most important thing is to know their strengths to invest. There are people who do agricultural tourism just by giving ducks a foot massage, but there are people who do farming tourism. people do business by letting tourists ride buffalo to bathe... So we also have to think and promote in a practical way, there must be strange and attractive factors for tourists. Only then will we earn money." Mr. Duong confessed and added that in Da Lat, models of growing strawberries and growing giant pumpkins to welcome tourists are quite popular. Therefore, he followed the path of producing products with "special" elements and combining a separate business form to break the rut and avoid boredom for tourists.

His philosophy is not to block the door to collect money from visitors, not to sell entrance tickets like other places, but instead, Green Box is open for guests to freely enter and experience. When coming to the garden, guests can still pick some ripe fruit to taste and can use or not use drinks, can buy or refuse to buy products according to their preferences.

The owner of an agricultural tourism establishment confessed: "For giant pumpkin products, many places charge customers a fee of 10,000 VND / time to take souvenir photos, and Green Box is completely free. I let guests check-in. , hug, touch, take pictures comfortably. Instead, I sell pumpkin seeds to tourists in need. Selling giant pumpkin seeds to tourists not only brings revenue but also helps tourists have seeds to plant to experience with this agricultural product".

According to Mr. Duong, the giant pumpkin production model is applied by many gardeners to attract tourists. However, to make a difference with the rest, in 2019, his family produced a pumpkin weighing 126kg and registered the Vietnam Record. This product then set a record and this has contributed to attracting visitors to the garden. "It's a difference in a difference. I use those differences to get to the real point of attracting tourists, creating a highlight for my agricultural tourism model," said Mr. Tran Huy Duong Tho revealed.

Selling joy to tourists

During the 6 years of implementing the agricultural tourism model, Mr. Tran Huy Duong's family has welcomed hundreds of thousands of tourists from near and far to visit. The small garden not only attracts domestic guests but also international guests.

Walking next to the green hydroponic vegetables, the owner of the travel agency just confessed: "Just yesterday, the family welcomed nearly a hundred guests from a university in Hanoi to visit. Among the guests was a lecturer. staff, students, and in addition to practical experience, they also asked me to share my experience on how to do agriculture in Da Lat."

According to the owner of an agricultural tourism establishment, he defines the garden as a place for guests to experience, a place to bring joy to visitors and also a place to generate revenue. Products include breakfast service, drinks (coffee, tea, juice…) and selling fresh products. All are deployed in a disciplined and conscientious manner. The owner of Green Box said that in order to win the favor of customers, the establishment that manufactures and sells quality products must be transparent, especially, with the same goal of "customers and owners are happy".

Mr. Tran Huy Duong confided that selling products to tourists at the agricultural tourist area is like a form of exporting agricultural products on the spot. Here, the garden owner makes the fruit and guests can taste it, buy it for use or take it home. The value of the product is therefore also enhanced many times compared to the market price.

According to Mr. Duong, the general psychology of tourists is experience and willingness to spend money to buy quality products. Therefore, visitors come to visit and they are willing to go to the garden to pick strawberries and buy them for 400,000 VND/kg. Although this price is 3-4 times more expensive than the price at the market, tourists are still happy and still feel meaningful.

Implementing an agricultural tourism site in Da Lat, but Mr. Tran Huy Duong's family did not take measures to attract guests, did not bring guests back in the form of spending % for taxi drivers or tours.

"I believe that doing is to impress, hospitable and return guests. If today thanks to a taxi driver, we can pick up customers, no matter how much investment is made, it will not be sustainable," said Mr. Duong and shared. In addition, at present, the family is linking with households to develop more agricultural products to serve the agricultural tourism model. These links will both contribute to Green Box diversifying products, creating income for people and expanding the market.

Currently, the Green Box farming tourism facility of Mr. Tran Huy Duong's family implements models of organic production of strawberries, cherry tomatoes, giant pumpkins, raspberries, hydroponic vegetables, etc. Plants are grown in a modern greenhouse system and temperature and humidity are controlled by physical measures. Here, insects and pests are eliminated by using glue traps and lights. Fungi and plant diseases are treated by the method of light or by the use of biological products.

Source: Minh Hau - Nong nghiep Viet Nam