DALAT UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE Volume 13, Issue 4S, 2023 42-57

ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT

OF AGRITOURISM IN BINH DINH PROVINCE, VIETNAM
Hoang Thi Hoai Huonga, Dao Quyet Thangb, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuyc, Tran Thi
Thanh Nhana, Nguyen Thi Thuy Dunga*, Nguyen Thi Thuy Gianga
a
The Faculty of Economics and Accounting, Quy Nhon University, Binh Dinh, Vietnam
b
Thu Dau Mot University, Binh Duong, Vietnam
c
Binh Dinh Provincial Women’s Union, Binh Dinh, Vietnam
*
Corresponding author: Email: [email protected]

Article history
Received: March 29th, 2023
Received in revised form: April 28th, 2023 | Received in revised form (2nd): May 29th, 2023
Accepted: May 31st, 2023
Available online: October 10th, 2023

Abstract
This study evaluates the potential for agritourism development in Binh Dinh Province,
Central Vietnam. The analytical hierarchical process is used to determine the weights of four
factors with 25 measurement criteria to assess agritourism potential. The research results
show that Binh Dinh Province has great agritourism potential based on four evaluation
factors, including (1) local agricultural tourism resources, (2) the trend for agritourism
development and the agritourism market, (3) the local community’s willingness, and (4)
the supporting activities of the local government. In particular, the local agricultural
tourism resources factor received the highest score, followed by the local community’s
willingness and the supporting activities of the local government. The trend for agritourism
development and the agritourism market was rated the lowest. Therefore, Binh Dinh has
viable opportunities to encourage the growth of agritourism to improve farmers’ livelihoods.

Keywords: Agritourism; Analytic hierarchy process; Binh Dinh; Potential.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37569/DalatUniversity.13.4S.1129(2023)
Article type: (peer-reviewed) Full-length research article
Copyright © 2023 The author(s).
Licensing: This article is published under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
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1. INTRODUCTION
Agricultural tourism is a model implemented by many countries around the world.
While some developed countries, such as the United States, Austria, and Israel, have built
this model over a long time, other countries, such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Taiwan,
have developed the agritourism model rapidly. This model switches from traditional
agriculture to agriculture combined with entertainment, bringing high efficiency to the
agriculture and tourism industries (Barbieri & Mshenga, 2008; Dadvar-Khani, 2015; Tüzün
Rad, 2011). According to Fortune Business Insights (2019), the global agritourism market
was worth US$69.24 billion in 2019 and is expected to increase to US$117.37 billion by
2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.42% between 2020 and 2027.

Agritourism is defined in a variety of ways. Miller and Cheng (2003) pointed out
that the importance of agritourism is that it allows visitors to stay on a farm and engage in
a variety of farm-related activities. As a result, agricultural activities may present
opportunities for local farmers to diversify their businesses and raise their incomes, as well
as for the general public to become more knowledgeable about agriculture (Knight, 1999).
The Kentucky Agri-tourism Working Group (2003, p. 11) defined agritourism as “the
economic activity that occurs when people link travel with agricultural products, services,
or experiences.” In sum, agritourism is described as a participatory activity involving
tourists, agricultural producers, and their facilities and goods. Agritourism is a specific type
of niche tourism that combines tourism with agricultural activities in rural areas, utilizing
the rural scenery, local communities, and traditional cultural heritage. This type of tourism
not only promotes economic growth, but also aids in cultural preservation and the growth of
the traditional handicraft industry. It also enhances the image of the area and the local people.

Agritourism development is one of the goals of Binh Dinh Province’s tourism

development strategy, contributing to the socioeconomic development and enhancement
of landscapes and the cultural and historical relics of the province’s mountainous districts.
In addition, agritourism helps diversify local tourism products and creates unique value
within the tourism identity. The tourism development master plan of Binh Dinh Province
to 2020 (UBND tỉnh Bình Định, 2016) identifies four districts in northern Binh Dinh
(Hoai Nhon, An Lao, Hoai An, and Phu My) that bring many unique cultural identities
along with historical values and rich natural conditions that have great potential for
agritourism development. In addition, surveys and assessments of the potential for
tourism development in this area were carried out by agencies in Binh Dinh. Binh Dinh
has taken initial steps in creating tourism products in this area (UBND tỉnh Bình Định,
2016). According to the 2025 to 2035 tourism development plan for the northern region
of Binh Dinh Province (including the four districts of Hoai Nhon, An Lao, Phu My, and
Hoai An), the combination of eco-tourism and agricultural tourism is expected to attract
about 200,000 tourists, with tourism revenue reaching about 280 billion VND in 2025.
By 2035, 1,250,000 tourists are expected, with revenue reaching about 3,800 billion VND
at a revenue growth rate of over 30% per year (UBND tỉnh Bình Định, 2019). In 2022,
the People’s Committee of Binh Dinh Province implemented a pilot project to develop
tourism in traditional handicraft villages in Binh Dinh Province, including two in the
northern districts of the province.

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 Hoang Thi Hoai Huong, Dao Quyet Thang, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Tran Thi Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung,
and Nguyen Thi Thuy Giang

However, agritourism development in Binh Dinh Province is still at a low level

compared to the current advantages and investment potential of the province, as
agritourism products are still monotonous. Only a few physical facilities and
accommodations exist for guests. The ability to manage agritourism activities is still
limited, as are activities promoting local culture to domestic and international tourists.
Moreover, the development of agritourism in the area faces significant competition from
neighboring localities such as Quang Nam and Da Nang (UBND tỉnh Bình Định, 2021).
Therefore, researching and assessing the potential for local agricultural tourism
development is an important activity to identify potential strengths to serve the targeted
and effective development of agricultural tourism in the province.

This study focuses on two objectives: (1) determining weighting criteria for
assessing the potential for agritourism development and (2) analyzing criteria for
assessing the potential for local agritourism development. Based on the research results,
this study provides some insights into positioning strategies for local authorities and
tourism businesses to develop agritourism in Binh Dinh.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Tew (2010) defines agricultural tourism as a term that refers to farm visits or
agricultural production processes, agricultural business for hobbies, education, or
relaxation, encompassing agricultural, natural, and human resources. Nguyen and
Nguyen (2014) state that agritourism is a popular type of tourism in areas with agricultural
advantages that is often developed in parallel with rural tourism. The development of
agricultural tourism brings opportunities for agricultural development and diversifies
tourism, thereby improving the living standards of the people.

There have been many studies of agricultural tourism in countries with similar
conditions to Vietnam. Yamagishi et al. (2021) studied the current situation and potential
of the Philippines as an agritourism destination and identified the fundamental factors that
hinder the development of agricultural tourism. Their study assessed the challenges faced
by Philippine farmers in diversifying their farms and operating farm tours and used these
challenges to develop strategies and policies for stakeholders. Their study also addressed
the limitations of agritourism. The Philippines, with its vast agricultural land, has the
necessary foundation for agritourism. With low agricultural output, the country sees farm
tourism as a strategy to diversify farms and increase income for rural communities, but
important initiatives on product development, education and training, management and
entrepreneurship, marketing and customer relations, and government support must be
implemented. The potential for capital investment to convert farms into agritourism
destinations is hampered by the lack of important skills on the part of farmers. Therefore,
developing business and hospitality skills is crucial for the development of agricultural
tourism. Kumar et al. (2021) analyzed the interplay between factors conducive to rural
tourism development in India. This segment has great potential but still lacks consistent
means and measures to ensure the comprehensive development of rural tourism in India.
Kumar et al. (2021) identified fourteen factors, nine of which had been previously found
and five that were identified by experts, that influence rural tourism development. Liang
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et al. (2020) demonstrated that agricultural tourism activities in Taiwan that require
mutual cooperation, such as “Do It Yourself” activities, feeding animals, or picking fruit
and vegetables, increase tourists’ intentions to visit. In particular, their study showed that
the willingness of tourists with children (but not those without) to revisit was influenced
by feeding or interacting with animals. Most countries that correctly assessed the
importance of developing rural tourism and had early policies to develop this type of
tourism have been successful: Northern and Central Europe (1950), Southern Europe
(1970), North America (1970, 1980), China (1980), South Korea (1984), Japan (1995),
and Malaysia (1995), among others.

Tüzün Rad (2011) investigated the impact of a women-oriented agritourism

development model on the local economy of the village of Kosbucagi, Turkey. Their
research indicates that people’s cooperative spirit, willingness to promote their cultural
heritage, availability of rural accommodation, potential agricultural tours, and the
production activities associated with traditional local carpet weaving, handicrafts, and
cooking, combined with the richness of the cultural and tourist resources, are proof that
the necessary conditions exist for developing agritourism.

Das and Deori (2012) evaluated the ecotourism potential of Nameri National Park,
India. Their research results reveal six criteria to evaluate ecotourism potential: importance,
accessibility, seasonality, fragility, popularity, and permission. Tourism potential was
assessed as the average of the scores of all these criteria in terms of supply and demand.

Dinh et al. (2011) examined domestic tourists’ satisfaction with tourism in Soc
Trang Province. Their study aimed to determine how satisfied tourists were with
components of the Soc Trang tourism product. Six variables were examined in the study:
(1) security and safety, (2) environmental landscape, (3) human resources, (4) tourism
infrastructure, (5) local activities, and (6) visitor satisfaction. The fact that environmental
aspects, societal attitudes, and local activities are all average demonstrates that tourists
are dissatisfied with Soc Trang Province’s tourism sector. Moreover, according to Pham
(2017), the factors needed to evaluate the potential of agritourism include (1)
geographical location, (2) types of tourism resources (natural and human), (3)
infrastructure and technical facilities, (4) tourism demand, and (5) national policies
serving the development of agricultural tourism. Bui (2017) analyzed the supply and
demand factors needed to develop agritourism potential. The supply factors include
tourism resources, technical infrastructure, sanitary conditions, security, the willingness
of the local community, the capacity to participate in the organization and management
of business activities, and the interest of the local government.

According to Vo and Ngo (2017), the basic conditions for the formation and
development of rural tourism include (1) the uniqueness of rural tourism resources, (2)
geographic location and accessibility, and (3) the competitiveness of tourism products in
the market. Nguyen (2017) evaluated the potential for the growth of tourism in Ninh Binh
Province, Vietnam. Both general and specific conditions have an impact on the
availability of tourism services. General conditions include environmental conditions,
visitor safety, political and social stability, and economic progress. Specific conditions

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 Hoang Thi Hoai Huong, Dao Quyet Thang, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Tran Thi Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung,
and Nguyen Thi Thuy Giang

include the availability of tourism resources (natural and man-made), the preparedness of
the organizational structure and general administration for tourism, the availability of a
sizable skilled workforce, the variety of tourist products, policies for tourism
development, and the involvement of local communities. All of the above factors have an
impact on the availability of tourist services, which indicates how sustainably local
tourism is developed. On the other hand, many factors affect the demand for tourism
services, including income level, education level, and free time.

Based on previous research, the criteria to evaluate the potential for agritourism
development are summarized in Table 1 below.

Table 1. The evaluation criteria for local agritourism potential

No Main criterion Sub-criteria Sources
1 Local - Geographical location Priskin (2001), Vengesayi (2003),
agricultural - Natural resources, human resources Crouch and Ritchie (1999), Pham
tourism (2017), Bui (2017)
- The level of development of transportation,
resources
communications, accommodation facilities,
and other services
2 The trend for - The state of tourism development in the Ertuna and Kırbaş (2012),
agritourism region Pham (2017), Bui (2017)
development - The degree of linkage between agritourism
and the sites with other tourist destinations/travel
agritourism companies/accommodation services/other
market services
- Needs and behavior of tourists
3 The local - Skills of local residents Aref (2010), Tüzün Rad (2011),
community’s - Attitude of local residents Ertuna and Kırbaş (2012),
willingness Crouch and Ritchie (2003),
McGehee and Andereck (2004)
4 The supporting - Participation in tourism activities by local Pham (2017), Bui (2017)
activities of the authorities at all levels
local - The promulgation of policies to develop
government agricultural tourism

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1. Research site

Binh Dinh is a province in the central region of Vietnam. It has great advantages in
sea and island tourism and the potential to develop agricultural tourism products. The
province has many favorable conditions, such as a relatively mild climate, good soil, diverse
mountainous terrain and landscape with a high greening rate, and a relatively pristine
ecosystem associated with many famous agricultural tourist sites. These include the Go Loi
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Tea area, green grapefruit in Hoai An district, the Tam Quan coconut forest in the town of
Hoai Nhon, Squash village, and Chau Truc lagoon in Phu My district. In addition, this area
also has many cultural and historical resources associated with the nation’s history.

3.2. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Previous studies have used various criteria to assess the potential for developing
agricultural tourism. Each criterion assesses a certain aspect of the potential for
developing local agritourism. Therefore, the synthesis and comprehensiveness of
evaluating the potential for developing agricultural tourism will contribute to the value of
proposing reasonable solutions to create effective tourism products.

With a system of indicators to evaluate tourism potential, each criterion will have
a different level of importance or impact, so it is necessary to determine the weights of
the evaluation indicators. It is necessary to determine whether the indicators are equal or
different in importance for tourism development. This study applied the AHP method to
the analysis to solve these issues.

We conducted interviews with 39 experts in the field of agritourism to determine

the evaluation criteria. Three main criteria were agreed upon by all of the experts: local
agritourism resources, local community willingness, and local government support. The
criterion with the lowest level of agreement was the trend of agritourism development
and the agritourism market, with 79.48% (31/39 experts agreed). Four evaluation factors
with 25 sub-criteria received a level of agreement over 70%, so we selected these factors
and sub-criteria to measure the agritourism potential of Binh Dinh Province (Table 2).
Then, the task in the second round was to determine the weights of these evaluation criteria.

Table 2. Evaluation factors for agritourism potential

No Main criterion Sub-criterion
1 Local agricultural The locale has beautiful natural scenery M1.1
tourism resources
Humanistic tourism resources are diverse, rich, and attractive M1.2
(M1)
The local traditional craft village is still maintained M1.3
Many interesting agricultural production activities are available M1.4
Special ethnic art and cultural performances exist M1.5
Local products and souvenirs are diverse and abundant M1.6
Unique, attractive, and delicious local traditional dishes are available M1.7
Local food safety is guaranteed M1.8
The local environment ensures security, order, and safety M1.9
Local guides provide full local agricultural tourism information M1.10
Indigenous culture, customs, and festivals are preserved M1.11
The local infrastructure is convenient and modern M1.12
Technical facilities for agricultural tourism development are relatively good M1.13

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 Hoang Thi Hoai Huong, Dao Quyet Thang, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Tran Thi Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung,
and Nguyen Thi Thuy Giang

Table 2. Evaluation factors for agritourism potential (cont.)

No Main criterion Sub-criterion
2 The trend for There are many local agritourism tourists M2.1
agritourism
Local agricultural attractions are visited on various tours M2.2
development and
the agritourism Local agritourism websites have many links to tour operators, M2.3
market (M2) accommodations, and other services
3 The local Local people are willing to share space for agricultural tourism M3.1
community’s development
willingness
Local people have a friendly and hospitable attitude toward tourists M3.2
(M3)
Local people are willing to participate in agricultural tourism activities M3.3
Local people are willing to learn and improve their awareness and skills M3.4
for agritourism
Local people are interested in and support the policy of agritourism M3.5
development
4 The supporting The local government issues specific guidelines, policies, and plans to M4.1
activities of the develop agritourism in the locality
local government
The commune authorities at all levels can participate in the management of M4.2
(M4) agritourism development
Local authorities support material and technical investment to develop M4.3
agritourism
The local government strengthens, promotes, and supports the M4.4
development of agritourism

After determining the criteria, the study used the analytical hierarchical process
(AHP) (Saaty, 1980) to build a AHP hierarchical tree (Figure 1).

M
The potential of agricultural tourism in the northern districts
and towns of Binh Dinh Province

M1 M2 M3 M4
Local agricultural The trend for agri-tourism The local community’s The supporting
tourism resources development and the agri- willingness activities of the local
tourism market government

M1.1; M1.2; M1.3; M2.1 M3.1 M4.1

M1.4; M1.5; M1.6; M2.2 M3.2 M4.2
M1.7; M1.8; M1.9; M2.3 M3.3 M4.3
M1.10; M1.11; M3.4 M4.4
M1.12; M1.13 M3.5

Figure 1. AHP hierarchical tree to determine rating weights

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Next, in the second round, experts determined the scale to rate the relative
importance of the evaluation criteria according to the importance ranking principle. For
example, for two criteria denoted X and Y, the importance rating scale is defined as shown
in Table 3.

Table 3. The scale for evaluating the relative importance of the evaluation criteria
Level Definition Explanation
1 Equal importance Factors X and Y make equal contributions
3 Slightly more dominant and important Factor X was selected and contributes
somewhat more than Factor Y
5 More important Factor X contributes more than Factor Y
7 Very important and obvious difference Factor X contributes much more than Factor Y,
in impact as clearly shown in specific cases

9 Extremely important, completely Factor X has outstanding importance; the

overwhelming contribution of Factor Y is negligible
2, 4, 6, 8 Intermediate levels between the above There is a need for a compromise between the
levels two factors
Source: Saaty (2008).

Next, a matrix was built to compare the evaluation criteria of the four factors
according to the results of the discussion groups and to calculate the weights (Table 4).

Table 4. Matrix of criteria according to expert opinion and weighting for

agritourism potential in the northern districts and towns of Binh Dinh Province
Evaluation Criterion M1 M2 M3 M4
a b c d
M1 1 A1 A2 A3
M2 1/A1 1 B1 B2
M3 1/A2 1/B1 1 C1
M4 1/A3 1/B2 1/C1 1
n n n n

 a
 b
 c
 d

Source: Saaty (2008).

The consistency ratio (CR), which represents the consistency of expert opinion in
the discussion process, is computed as

CR ≤ 0.1 (10%) is suitable.

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 Hoang Thi Hoai Huong, Dao Quyet Thang, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Tran Thi Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung,
and Nguyen Thi Thuy Giang

The consistency index (CI) is calculated as CI = (max − n)(n − 1) , where n is the

number of criteria, and max is a specific value of the comparison matrix;

The relationship between CR and CI is given by CR = CI / RI , where RI is a

random index determined according to Table 5.

Table 5. Random index

N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
RI 0 0 0.52 0.89 1.11 1.25 1.35 1.4 1.45 1.49 1.52 1.54 1.56 1.58 1.59

The process for establishing the assessment weight of each criterion is shown in
Figure 2.

Expert group discussion

Expert’s opinion matrix

Consistency ratio matrix W1

Consistency ratio matrix W2

Wrong
Consistency ratio CR ≤ 0.1

Right
Weight is assigned to each evaluation criterion
Figure 2. Steps in analyzing the evaluation weights in AHP

The total score for evaluating the agritourism potential of the northern districts
and towns in Binh Dinh is calculated on the basis of the weights identified in the above
step using the following formula.
4
M =  M i * Pi (%)
i =1

In which

M is the total score for evaluating the agritourism potential;

Pi is the weight of i (i = 1, 2, 3, 4) calculated from the AHP results;

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n
Mi is the point of each criterion calculated as Mi =  M ij * Pij (%);
j =1

Pij is the weight of the jth criterion (j = 1, 2, ..., n) of the ith pillar calculated from
the results of the AHP analysis, and

Mij is the score of the criterion achieved according to the questionnaire.

The AHP analysis steps were repeated to determine the weights for the M1, M2,
M3, and M4 sub-criteria.

3.3. Data collection and sample size

To achieve the research objective, we collected data by designing questionnaires

to survey different groups of research subjects using the minimum sample formula

Z 2 p(1 − p)
n=
e2

In which

n is the number of samples to be determined (sample size);

Z is the electable confidence-based Z-value. Normally, 95% confidence is chosen,

so Z = 1.96, p = 0.5; and

e is the error.

For the 95% confidence level, the minimum sample size must be
n = 1.962  0.5(1–0.5)/0.052 = 385.

Therefore, we conducted a survey with a sample size of 400 distributed among

the survey subjects, as shown in Table 6.

Table 6. Number of survey subjects by group

No Subjects Quantity (votes)
1 Local people 200
2 Local authorities 50
3 Tourism representatives 50
4 Tourists 100

Half of the respondents are local people who best understand the potential for
developing agricultural tourism in the locality. The evaluations of management agencies
and representatives of tourism companies and tourists provided the study with more
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 Hoang Thi Hoai Huong, Dao Quyet Thang, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Tran Thi Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung,
and Nguyen Thi Thuy Giang

multidimensional perspectives on this issue. The descriptive statistics of the survey

respondents are given in Table 7.

Table 7. Descriptive statistics of the respondents

Criterion Gender Age Location
Men Women Under 18– 36– Above An Hoai Hoai Phu Other
18 35 55 55 Lao An Nhon My
Quantity (people) 182 218 6 218 122 54 44 64 93 75 124
Percentage (%) 45.50 54.50 1.50 54.50 30.50 13.50 11.00 16.00 23.25 18.75 31.00

As shown by the data in Table 7, the survey sample consisted of 45.5% men and
54.5% women. The majority of participants (54.5%) were between the ages of 18 and 35,
followed by those aged 36 to 55 (30.5%) and those aged 55 and over (13.5%). Regarding
place of residence, 31.0% of the participants did not reside in the northern districts and
towns of Binh Dinh Province, while 69.0% did reside in these areas, as shown in the table.

4. RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1. Evaluation of the criteria weights

The weights of the criteria for assessing the potential for agricultural tourism
development using the AHP method are shown in Figure 3.

M
The potential of agricultural tourism in the northern
districts and towns of Binh Dinh

M1 (46.6%) M2 (9.6%) M3 (27.7%) M4 (16.1%)

M1.1 (16.9%) M2.1 (16.4%) M3.1 (31.3%) M4.1 (42.3%)

M1.2 (16.9%) M2.2 (53.9%) M3.2 (31.3%) M4.2 (22.7%)
M1.3 (6.1%) M2.3 (29.7%) M3.3 (17.6%) M4.3 (12.3%)
M1.4 (10.7%) M3.4 (9.9%) M4.4 (22.7%)
M1.5 (6.1%) M3.5 (9.9%)
M1.6 (3.6%)
M1.7 (2.4%)
M1.8 (6.1%)
M1.9 (10.7%)
M1.10 (2.4%)
M1.11 (6.1%)
M1.12 (6.1%)
M1.13 (6.1%)

Figure 3. Evaluation of the criteria weights

Figure 3 shows that the factor of local agricultural tourism resources (M1) is given
the highest weight at 46.6%, followed by the weight of the factor of local community
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readiness (M3) at 27.7% and the weight of the factor of local government interest (M4)
at 16.1%. The factor with the lowest weight is the trend of agricultural tourism
development and agricultural tourism market (M2) at 9.6%.

4.2. Assessment of agritourism potential in the northern districts and towns of

Binh Dinh

The results of assessing the overall potential for agritourism development in Binh
Dinh Province, Vietnam, are shown in Figure 4.

M1 3.770
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
M M2
1.0 3.420
3.740
0.0

3.836
3.679
M4 M3

Figure 4. Network diagram of the evaluation criteria for agritourism potential in

Binh Dinh Province

As shown in Figure 4, the potential for agricultural tourism development in the

area is evaluated at a relatively high score of 3.740/5.000 points. In particular, the most
appreciated factor is local agricultural tourism resources with 3.836/5.000 points, followed
by the readiness of the local community with 3.770/5.000 points, and the supporting
activities of the local government with 3.679/5.000 points. The trend for agritourism
development and the agritourism market was rated the lowest among the four criteria.

Tourism is expected to become a key economic sector in the general economic

structure of Binh Dinh Province by 2030, which is one of the centers of tourism on the
south-central coast. While sea island resort tourism and cultural-historical tourism are two
priority products, community-based tourism and agritourism are complementary tourism
products that help develop the province. Binh Dinh Province has issued many plans,
policies, and schemes concretized by specific actions to promote agritourism development.
Therefore, it is reasonable to estimate that support by the local government is the highest-
rated factor. In addition, Binh Dinh is a locality with rich and diverse tourism resources,
from sea and island tourism products to ecotourism and agricultural tourism.

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 Hoang Thi Hoai Huong, Dao Quyet Thang, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Tran Thi Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung,
and Nguyen Thi Thuy Giang

Many visitors are highly satisfied with the attractions of agricultural tourism such
as fresh air, beautiful landscapes, traditional dishes, attractive natural scenery, and
security. Because resources for agritourism are readily available at an affordable price, it
is advantageous to promote agritourism by encouraging the willingness of people to
engage in agricultural tourism activities, protect environmental resources, preserve and
maintain customs, and be prepared to share space for agritourism development with the
local people. Notably, the trend for agritourism development and the agritourism market
was assessed at a lower score than the other three criteria. This also comes from the
development of agritourism in Binh Dinh, which has recently attracted considerable
attention. Besides, agricultural tourism activities lack excitement, and visitors do not pay
much attention to this product. Therefore, Binh Dinh needs to form linkages between
localities when designing tours that are both suitable for tourists’ needs and promote the
potential of local agricultural tourism.

5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE RESEARCH

This study assessed the agritourism potential of the northern districts and towns
in Binh Dinh Province based on four factors: the local agricultural tourism resources, the
trend of agritourism development and the agritourism market, the readiness of the local
community, and the supporting activities of the local government. In general, the survey
respondents highly appreciated the potential for local agricultural tourism development,
showing that Binh Dinh has plenty of prospective factors to develop agritourism.
However, these localities need to pay attention to the trend of agritourism development
and the agritourism market, which is the criterion that scored lower than the other criteria.
The results of this study are similar to those of previous studies. The tourism development
plan for the northern region of Binh Dinh Province highlights the area’s diverse natural
resources and topography as key strengths. These include agricultural tourism resources
such as the Tam Quan coconut forest, My Binh lake, Chau Truc lagoon, and An Lao hill,
as well as cultural resources of ethnic groups and local history. Vu (2021) provided
evidence supporting the richness and diversity of Binh Dinh’s tourism resources. The
northern region of Binh Dinh Province has the potential to develop various types of
tourism, including sightseeing (rural tourism associated with handicraft villages),
ecological tourism, and cultural tourism. With the available potential, Binh Dinh has
suitable solutions to promote the development of agritourism to contribute to raising
income for farmers. These include promoting the development of agricultural tourism
products associated with traditional agricultural activities, especially local handicraft
villages; linking the development of agricultural tourism with other types of tourism such
as cultural and historical tourism to create attraction and interest for tourists; and promoting
the spirit and awareness of developing agricultural tourism among the local community.

The study has some limitations that need to be addressed in future studies. The
study investigated a sample size of 400 with four different subject groups based on certain
criteria. However, the sample size is not large enough to draw comprehensive
conclusions. Future studies should conduct surveys with a larger sample size. The study
used four criteria to assess the potential for local agritourism development on different

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sub-criteria. However, it does not fully reflect all the criteria that represent the potential
to develop agricultural tourism in the local economy. Further studies should assess the
potential for local agricultural tourism development with criteria that have not been
addressed in this study, such as operating time and the attractiveness and sustainability of
the destination.

In the scope of this study, we assessed the potential for local tourism development
and then proposed suggestions on tourist destinations and specific agritourism models to
be implemented in the region. Future studies will evaluate the level of favorability for
developing this destination/agritourism model. Therefore, future studies based on
potential assessments will further develop these specific solutions to contribute to
promoting the development of agritourism in the area.

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