According to the instruction of the provincial people’s committee, the halt has been applied from September 15. Any project of its kind which is still under construction also has to be suspended until the committee makes a decision.
Visitors at a farming in Dalat City.
Huynh Thi Thu Hang, owner of Bunny Hill Farm & Homestay, in Dalat City expressed her regret over the halt as she believed Dalat has great potential. The halt of under-way agricultural tourism projects has also caused big losses for investors.
Le Ngoc Thanh Nga, a visitor from HCM City, said that her family likes this tourism model. Her children can learn how to grow and take care of vegetables during their holiday in Dalat.
The Lam Dong People’s Committee explained that the province faced many difficulties in agricultural tourism management due to the lack of regulations and specific guidelines on related issues such as construction planning, land use planning and criteria to develop projects.
A representative from Lam Dong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that the province has recognised 32 agricultural tourism spots since the service was piloted in 2015 mostly focused in Dalat City. The suspension is aimed to revise and finalise regulations in the area.
Huynh Thi Thu Hang, owner of Bunny Hill Farm & Homestay proposed that local authorities should allow agricultural tourism investors to build necessary facilities for their projects but ensure sustainable agricultural development.
Agricultural tourism and farms open to tourists have thrived in Lam Dong Province over the past few years. Many travel firms have operated tours to such sites and promoted agricultural tourism as a distinctive feature of the province.
