Long Coc Develops Tea Products in Association with Green Tourism

“Transforming tea production toward organic cultivation, improving product quality, promoting green tourism, and gradually bringing Long Coc tea to international markets” is the strategic direction aimed at implementing Specialized Resolution No. 3 of 2025 issued by the Long Coc Commune Party Committee. The resolution identifies a key breakthrough task: “Promoting internal resources and attracting investment for economic development associated with green tourism.” The commune aims to achieve an average annual growth rate of over 15% in tourist arrivals by 2030, welcome more than 10,000 visitors per year, secure provincial-level recognition for the Long Coc Tea Hills as a tourist destination, and establish Long Coc as an attractive, environmentally friendly, and sustainable green tourism destination.

Long Coc Tea Hills

According to Mr. Nguyen Hoang Trung, Secretary of the Long Coc Commune Party Committee, the locality is home to more than 1,200 hectares of tea plantations. Its hundreds of distinctive bowl-shaped hills have become a familiar destination for visitors and photographers. To enhance the value of tea production, the commune is cooperating with the Green Transition Association to promote organic cultivation. The initial phase covers more than 20 hectares, with plans to gradually expand the organic tea-growing area in the coming years.

This development strategy is already being implemented by local tea-producing households. In Can Hamlet, more than two hectares of tea cultivated by the family of Mr. Ha Van Quy, owner of Quy Le Green Tea Facility, have been converted to high-quality tea varieties. From raw materials produced under safe farming practices, the family has developed a range of tea products, including Black Tea, Bat Tien Tea, and Lotus Tea for the market.

Mr. Quy shared: “Producing clean products and ensuring sustainable development require adherence to VietGAP standards. Thanks to this approach, our products have been recognized as a three-star OCOP product, helping to increase the value of local tea.”

Long Coc’s green development orientation is also reflected in its integration of tea production with experiential tourism. Taking advantage of its vast green tea hills and unique landscape, many local households have invested in homestays and community-based tourism services.

Visitors to Long Coc can admire the beauty of the famous bowl-shaped tea hills while experiencing the entire tea-making process—from cultivation and care to processing—and enjoying the locality’s signature tea products. This model, combining tea production with tourism, is creating additional income for local residents and contributing to the promotion of the Long Coc tea brand.

Tea Production Following VietGAP Standards

Ms. Tran Thi Thanh, owner of Thanh Bien Homestay, said: “As the number of visitors and photographers coming to Long Coc to capture cloud seas, sunrises, and sunsets continues to increase, my family invested in building a traditional stilt house to provide accommodation and enhance visitors’ experience.”

Alongside tea-growing households, cooperatives play an important role in connecting raw material areas, improving product quality, and building brand recognition. Through guidance on safe production practices, support for product marketing, and the development of premium tea lines, cooperatives are helping increase the value of tea products.

According to Ms. Pham Thi Hanh, Director of the Long Coc Safe Tea Cooperative, the cooperative’s products have achieved a four-star OCOP rating and are currently being upgraded to meet the criteria for a five-star OCOP certification.

To date, Long Coc Commune has developed numerous tea products recognized under the OCOP Program with ratings ranging from three to four stars. These achievements reflect the successful transition from small-scale production to standardized commodity production, gradually strengthening the reputation of Long Coc tea in the marketplace.

Community-Based Tourism Associated with Tea Hills

Driven by the Party Committee’s orientation toward organic tea development, Long Coc’s green tea hills are now producing high-quality products while also serving as unique tourism assets. By connecting safe agricultural production with tea culture experiences, community-based tourism, and ecological landscapes, tea continues to affirm its role as the commune’s key economic sector, providing a solid foundation for Long Coc’s sustainable development in the future.

Minh Thuat