HCM City, Central Highlands enhance tourism connectivity

Row boats on the Srepok River in Đắk Lắk Province. VNA/VNS Photo Hoài Thu

KON TUM — HCM City and the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) provinces are enhancing connectivity to create new tourism products and attract more visitors.

“The Central Highlands has huge potential for tourism development,” said Nguyễn Thị Ánh Hoa, director of the city’s Tourism Department, at a recent conference on tourism links between the city and Central Highlands held in Kon Tum Province.

Hoa emphasised that the region had many historic relic sites and destinations reflecting unique cultural identity from different ethnic minority groups.

At the event, travel agencies introduced new tourism products linking the city and the region, such as tours from HCM City to Lâm Đồng – Đắk Nông – Đắk Lắk, or to Đắk Lắk – Gia Lai – Kon Tum.

These tours will introduce tourists to the region’s significant historic sites, such as the prison of Buôn Ma Thuột City in Đắk Lắk Province, which was a prison during wartime. It was recognised as a national relic in 1980.

The Museum of Đắk Lắk Province is also among the most-awaited destinations in the tours. The 9,200sq.m construction was designed based on the traditional house of the Ê Đê people and showcases numerous artefacts reflecting the history and culture of the region.

The tours will also include tourist sites, such as the Kotam Community Resort and the World Coffee Museum, which has numerous artefacts from around the world, including antique coffee containers and cups, and traditional harvest tools of the Central Highlands.

World Coffee Museum is a must-visit destination in Buôn Ma Thuột City in Đắk Lắk Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoài Thu

According to travel agencies, the city and Central Highlands should co-organise events to promote new tourism products, especially products carrying the cultural identity of the region.

They also urged the Central Highlands provinces to improve their accommodation and food services, offer training for tourism workers, and raise awareness of community tourism activities.

The agencies called on the provinces to solicit investment in transportation infrastructure to connect tourism sites and destinations among the provinces.

Y Ngọc, deputy chairman of the Kon Tum Province’s People’s Committee, said the Central Highlands had not fulfilled its tourism potential. Through the conference, she hoped it could connect with leading travel agencies in HCM City to work together to promote the region’s tourism and build more tourism products.

Phan Thị Thắng, deputy chairman of the HCM City’s People’s Committee, asked tourism businesses in HCM City to help to support the Central Highlands provinces in human resources training and to create new products to attract more tourists to the region.

Thắng also proposed that the provinces implement preferential policies and create favourable conditions for the city’s businesses to build new tourism products which preserve and promote the Central Highlands’ cultural identity. — VNS