Beyond a flagship fruit, durian is emerging as a distinctive tourism asset, enabling growers to diversify their income while enhancing product value.

As one of Vietnam's leading durian-producing regions, Dak Lak is steadily opening  novel opportunities for rural tourism development. Durian is being transformed into a distinctive tourism resource by the tourism sector and orchard owners, helping enhance the value of agricultural products, generating sustainable livelihoods as well as showcasing local cultural heritage.

Durian orchard ecotourism offers visitors immersive and memorable experiences. Guests can stroll beneath the tree canopy, take part in durian flower pollination in April, or visit orchards during the harvest season in late July alongside August to enjoy and purchase fresh durians. Equally appealing are opportunities to hear first-hand stories from growers as well as learn about their cultivation experience.

Visitors posing for photographs beside the century-old durian tree owned by Mr. Le Van Thanh's family in Krong Pac commune.

In April, at the durian orchard of the Krong Pac Clean Agriculture Services Cooperative in Krong Pac commune, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with relevant organisations, organised an experiential tour introducing visitors to the durian flower pollination process. Mr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, a visitor from Ho Chi Minh city, said participating in the pollination process for the first time gave him a greater appreciation of the care and effort required to produce premium-quality durians.

Opening orchards to visitors

In Ea Knuec commune, Mr. Pham Xuan Lan's family is preparing to welcome visitors during the upcoming Durian Festival. With more than two hectares of productive durian orchards, he has gone beyond simply selling fruit by developing an orchard-based tourism model that allows visitors to explore daily farming activities. According to Mr. Lan, the model also serves as an effective way to promote the orchard’s products. Visitors who witness cultivation practices first-hand as well as enjoy durian picked directly from the orchard gain greater confidence in both the quality and product origin.

Numerous other farming households have also begun adopting similar models. The family of Mr. Le Van Thanh in Krong Pac commune owns a century-old durian tree and regularly welcomes visitors to explore the orchard, take photographs, alongside enjoy the local speciality during festival seasons.

Visitors experiencing the durian flower pollination process in Krong Pac commune.

With favourable climatic conditions, fertile soils and extensive durian-growing areas, Dak Lak has strong advantages for developing well-structured agricultural tourism products. Integrating agriculture with tourism, alongside production with visitor experiences, will help establish sustainable value chains while generating additional income for locals. Beyond its economic benefits, the model also contributes to preserving local identity, strengthening connections between people and nature, combined with further promoting Dak Lak as a welcoming and hospitable destination rich in tourism potential.

According to Mr. Le Hoang Phu, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, durian orchard ecotourism offers hands-on experiences that help visitors gain a deeper understanding of cultivation techniques, orchard management, and in particular, flower pollination methods that improve productivity coupled with fruit quality. The tourism sector is working to develop agricultural tourism experiences that showcase the provincial distinctive cultural heritage while strengthening linkages between farmers and businesses, thereby laying a stronger foundation for the sustainable development of Dak Lak's durian industry.

Translated by KHUONG THAO