Boosting processing, manufacturing to order, diversifying products, integrated with experiential tourism are emerging as innovative strategies for craft villages. These approaches are viewed as solutions allowing craft villages to preserve traditional values while adapting to market demands, thereby creating more job opportunities alongside increasing local incomes.

Situated along Ba river, the mulberry cultivation coupled with silkworm rearing village in My Thanh Tay hamlet (Tay Hoa commune) has long provided a livelihood for numerous generations. The Hoa Phong silkworm wine launch in 2017, which subsequently achieved OCOP certification, marked a pivotal shift for the village: shifting from merely selling raw cocoons to investing in processing to exploit multi-faceted value. In 2024, the product was recognised by the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance as a Mai An Tiem typical product.

The cooperative has further enhanced the mulberry plant value by generating novel products, including mulberry leaf tea, mulberry syrup together with mulberry wine. Simultaneously, it has introduced high-yield hybrid mulberry varieties into production, modernized silkworm rearing techniques, invested in preliminary processing, combined with established market connections. “Beyond enhancing the agricultural product value along with diversifying revenue streams, developing additional products enables to improve economic efficiency, create more job opportunities, as well as gradually revitalize the mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing, laying a foundation for residents to continue to be involved in the profession, preserve traditional values, together with unlock opportunities for the village’s revival in the contemporary context,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Dong, Director of the Hoa Phong Cooperative.

Phu Tan sedge mat weaving village becoming an experiential tourism destination for visitors.

Concurrently, the Phu Tan 1 sedge mat weaving village (O Loan commune) has charted an innovative path by combining production with experiential tourism. Notably, the DX application to promote products, introduce the weaving process in conjunction with highlight the beauty of the raw material sourcing areas has helped turn the village into an attractive destination for a large number of tourists. According to Mr. Nguyen Anh Quan, Director of the An Cu Sedge Mat Production, Service, and Tourism Cooperative, the cooperative has proactively established promotional channels across digital platforms coupled with social media. By digitizing imagery and stories related to the sedge mat weaving craft, they have brought these traditional products closer to customers both within alongside outside the province. The cooperative monthly welcomes an average of around 300 domestic alongside international visitors, who come to learn about mat-weaving history, experience the production stages firsthand, together with purchase distinctive local handicrafts.

A production facility at Long Thuy traditional fish sauce craft village.

This approach has also proven suitable for Binh Kien ward. To integrate the fish sauce production craft village into a community-based tourism model, the ward established the Long Thuy Fish Sauce Production and Processing Farmers’ Association. Through this association, producer households have signed sales agreements with 13 enterprises, organizations, restaurants, combined with partners. Simultaneously, they have transformed production and processing activities into experiential tourism tours, allowing visitors to explore the fish sauce-making process along with the craft village’s cultural values.

Strengthening craft village operations through community linkages not only expands market outlets for products but also lays the foundation for developing tourism services, thereby helping to boost local incomes coupled with preserve traditional crafts.

Translated by TRINH THUY