Ecological and Cultural Tourism Development

Endowed with abundant tourism potential, Dak Nong province defines that tourism development will be a key breakthrough field in socioeconomic development in 2014 and subsequent years. Therefore, the provincial government has actively instructed and adopted many long-term tourism development strategies to speed up the progress of socioeconomic restructuring of the province.

To date, the province has many tourism attractions in operation where draw a large number of tourists every year. Tourist arrivals reached 619,000 from 2011 to 2014, of which domestic tourists were 593,110 and international tourists were 25,890. Tourism revenue grossed VND83.5 billion. However, these results were incommensurate with the potential and development requirements of the province. Hence, tourism development is one of the key tasks now.

Awakening tourism potential

Dak Nong province’s tourism advantage is rich natural resources. Apart from picturesque waterfalls and lakes like Day Sap – Gia Long – Trinh Nu Waterfall, Dak Glun Waterfall and Lieng Nung Waterfall, the province also has dozens of caves along the Serepok River where tourist attractions and resorts can be built. Besides, Dak Nong has many historical and cultural relics like Bon Bu Nor historic site, Dak Mil Prison, Buon Buor Village and B4 Resistance War Base as well as ​​unique cultural artistic values like gong, lithophone, rudimentary musical instrument made from bamboo, and folk dances and lyrics of M’nong, Ma, Ede and other ethnic groups.

To tap these tourism advantages and potential and to promote socioeconomic development, Dak Nong province is making every effort to be an appealing tourist attraction in Vietnam and in the region, said Mr Le Khac Ghi, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Accordingly, based available tourism resources, the province will develop two types of tourism, namely ecological tourism and cultural tourism. Specifically, by building tourist routes and destinations, Dak Nong also focus on developing locally characteristic tourism products like waterfall tourism, spiritual tourism and mountain-climbing tourism. At the same time, the province also speeds up tourism investment projects.

The province also considers creating favourable conditions for travel agencies across the country to survey and build tour programmes to serve tourists. It also steps up cooperation with provinces and cities nationwide to set up high-quality tours like Dak Nong – Da Lat – Ninh Thuan, Dak Nong – Dak Lak – Nha Trang, and Dak Nong – HCM City – Binh Thuan. It also organises cultural and tourism events to introduce its images and cultures to tourists.

Developing tourism infrastructure

Director Le Khac Ghi said the local poor infrastructure system, particularly tourism infrastructure, is dragging on the development of tourism industry. Artery traffic routes like National Roads 14, 14C and 28 have their damage and degeneration slowly recovered. Besides, most tourism companies have small operating scales and they lack finance to ensure the progress of their projects. Standard tourism products are still being shaped.

Before this reality, Dak Nong is focusing its investment capital on developing infrastructure in tourist attractions to tap local tourism potential. Thus far, the province has seven tourism site construction projects with a total registered investment capital of VND913.1 billion. Notably, Dak G’Lung Waterfall ecological tourism site, covering 91 ha in Tuy Duc district, costs VND11 billion. This site is a key point for the province to develop tourism in the southwest and supports the opening of tours connecting HCM City – Da Lat – Da Dung – Dak G’Lung. Some other tourism sites are being prepared for deployment.

In addition to general incentives provided by the central government, investors are granted local preferences stipulated in Resolution No. 12/2013/NQ-HDND dated July 19, 2013 of the People’s Council of Dak Nong Province on the issue of encouragement and support policies on industrial, trade, tourism and services development investment in the province of Dak Nong. In addition, the province also streamlines administrative procedures to facilitate investors to carry out their projects.

Dak Nong province also encourages the development of handicraft production to introduce its locally characteristic items to tourists, trains tourism officials and draws more investment capital for tourism industry.

Thanh Tam

Ecological and Cultural Tourism Development Related image(s)