AGRICULTURAL TOURISM IN THE MEKONG DELTA, VIETNAM: STATE POLICIES, ENTERPRISE STRATEGIES AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

By Ngo Thi Phuong Lan, Huynh Ngoc Thu
DOI: 10.37550/tdmu.EJS/2026.01.697

Agricultural tourism (agritourism) has become an emerging
development pathway in the Mekong Delta, where agriculture, culture,
and water-based ecosystems intersect to form distinctive rural
landscapes. Within Vietnam’s broader agenda of rural restructuring and
sustainable development, agritourism in the region has gradually
evolved from small-scale household initiatives into a more organized
sector shaped by the interaction of state policies, enterprise strategies,
and community participation. This study examines how these three
actors collectively influence agritourism development in the Mekong
Delta. Using a qualitative research design and an embedded case study
approach, the analysis draws on national and provincial policy
documents, industry reports, and representative agritourism models
such as My Khanh Tourist Village, Con Son Community Cooperative,
Con Chim Ecotourism Site, Con Ong experiential farm, and the Dinh
Yen Mat weaving craft village. The findings indicate that since 2010,
the Vietnamese government has established a policy framework
promoting experiential agriculture-based tourism, regional
connectivity, climate-resilient development, and cultural preservation,
thereby enabling enterprises to upgrade facilities, diversify tourism
services, and expand regional tour circuits. At the same time, local
communities have reorganized tourism activities through cooperative
and community-based models that integrate agricultural practices,
culinary heritage, and craft traditions into visitor experiences.
Successful initiatives demonstrate improvements in income generation,
employment opportunities, cultural continuity, and environmental
awareness. However, agritourism in the Mekong Delta still faces
challenges, including fragmented policy implementation, limited
destination management capacity, weak interprovincial coordination,
repetitive tourism products, and environmental pressures associated
with climate change. The study argues that the sustainability of
agritourism in the region depends on strengthening the alignment
between policy frameworks, enterprise innovation, and communitybased stewardship.