Van Yen Develops Tourism in Connection with Medicinal Herb Regions: A New Direction with Unique Identity

With diverse terrain, a temperate climate, and rich soil, Van Yen district has favorable conditions for agricultural development, particularly in cultivating valuable medicinal herbs. In addition to experiential tourism, spiritual tourism, and community-based tourism, Van Yen has been focusing on developing agricultural tourism linked to the utilization of its medicinal herb regions.

Located within the Na Hau Nature Reserve, Na Hau commune is home to 30 rare medicinal plant species, including amomum, fleeceflower root, honeysuckle,

cardamom, tree fern, Polyscias fruticosa, and passionflower. To leverage its potential for agricultural tourism combined with medicinal herb exploitation, the commune has intensified promotional efforts through mass media and digital platforms, attracted investment, and encouraged social engagement in tourism development and major festivals. Additionally, local households are supported in developing homestay tourism models.

Ly Ton Cau, Chairman of the People's Committee of Na Hau Commune, stated: "Currently, Na Hau has developed five community-based homestay tourism models. These models focus on leveraging local agricultural products to enhance visitor experiences, including accommodation, sightseeing, and hands-on activities. In 2024, the commune welcomed nearly 8,000 visitors, generating revenue exceeding VND 10 billion." Van Yen district boasts significant potential with its medicinal herb regions, including the Na Hau Nature Reserve, the thorny gourd area in Dong An commune, and the Gynostemma pentaphyllum cultivation in Tan Hop commune.

Most notably, cinnamon is widely grown across multiple localities. Furthermore, ethnic communities in the district have preserved extensive knowledge of medicinal plants, along with their processing and application methods. 

The medicinal herb regions are also enriched with mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and other natural landscapes, making them attractive destinations for tourists. In recent years, Van Yen has taken its initial steps in developing agricultural tourism linked to medicinal herbs. Some tourism products have emerged, including guided

tours of medicinal herb gardens, experiences in herb processing, herbal baths, and cuisine featuring medicinal ingredients.

Besides, the district is focusing on developing OCOP (One Commune One Product) products, with many medicinal herb-related OCOP products being developed and promoted. These efforts contribute to increasing the value of local products and improving residents' incomes. Some notable examples include CND instant drinkable thorny gourd extract gel from the Yen Bai Agricultural Production Services Cooperative in Dai Phac commune, pure cinnamon essential oil from Thac Tien General Services Cooperative in Mo Vang commune, off-season tomatoes from Trung Thanh Organic Agricultural Services Cooperative in Yen Hop commune, cinnamon essential oil from Lam Phuong Linh Cooperative in Dai Phac commune, Lam Giang green-skinned pomelo from the Pomelo Cultivation Cooperative in Lam Giang commune, and various herbal essential oils such as Dai Phu An cinnamon oil and lemongrass essential oil from Dai Phu An Traditional Medicine joint Stock Company. Additionally, several businesses have invested in medicinal herb tourism, contributing to improving service quality,

including Dai Phu An Traditional Medicine joint Stock Company and Yen Bai Agricultural Production Services Cooperative.

Le Thanh Hung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Van Yen district, stated: "In 2025, the district will focus on developing herbal bath services at the hot springs in Cao Son, Ban Lung, and Lang Than villages of Phong Du Thuong commune, as well as in Vien Son and Dai Son communes, where a variety of

valuable medicinal plants grow. Additionally, we will organize cultural festivals associated with medicinal herbs, develop agricultural tourism combined with ecotourism and community-based tourism, invest in upgrading tourism infrastructure, train high-quality human resources, and implement service standards as required. We also plan to establish more distinctive tourism brands, host promotional events, utilize modern media channels to boost tourism marketing, support medicinal herb producers in enhancing product quality and branding, and facilitate connections between local producers and tourism enterprises to promote their products."

The development of agricultural tourism linked to medicinal herb exploitation has created a new path for the economic and social growth of Van Yen. In 2024, the

district welcomed 235,000 overnight visitors, generating revenue of VND 255 billion, achieving 150% of its target. To further expand this type of tourism, Van

Yen will continue to intensify tourism promotion efforts across various media platforms and digital channels to reach a broader audience. Additionally, the district will continue to invest in comprehensive tourism infrastructure, attract resources for agricultural tourism development, and contribute to the sustainable and rapid socio-economic development of the region.