ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF APPLYING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN SOME MODELS OF AGRICULTURAL TOURISM IN THAI NGUYEN

Abstract

Agritourism serves as a significant strategy to enhance the well-being of rural communities and drive sustainable rural development.  This study aims to bridge this gap by examining the current utilization of information technology in farm management, marketing, and sales among agritourism farms and cooperatives in Thai Nguyen province. The research employs a combined methodology involving surveys and face-to-face interviews, conducted across eight agritourism establishments in four areas of Thai Nguyen province. Findings reveal that information technology is being adopted by agritourism farms and cooperatives, albeit with certain limitations. Among the surveyed entities, merely three out of eight possess dedicated websites, and only one consistently updates its content. Additionally, the study indicates that a mere 7.08 percent of tourists become informed about agricultural farms in Thai Nguyen province through the provincial website. A recommendation from tourists is for Thai Nguyen's agritourism farms to establish their own social media fan pages and collaborate with other farms to create holistic agritourism experiences. Furthermore, it is advised that the websites or fan pages of cooperatives and farms receive regular updates, providing pertinent information on cultivation practices, care guidelines, agricultural product prices, associated services, and comprehensive maps of Thai Nguyen's agricultural tourism destinations.