Central Highlands urged to “awaken” tourism potential
The Central Highlands region boasts huge potential for tourism development; however, the regional non-smoke industry has to date failed to unlock its potential and strengths.
Dray Sap waterfall in Dak Nong province. (Photo: dulichtaynguyen.org)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Central Highlands region boasts huge potential fortourism development; however, the regional non-smoke industry has to date failedto unlock its potential and strengths.
The Central Highlands, which consists of Kon Tum, Gia Lai,Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong provinces, is located in the area of theVietnam-Laos-Cambodia border T-junction, and adjacent to the north central, southcentral coastal and southeast regions.
The region is endowed with many valuable resources fortourism development such as landscape along Dak Bla, Serepok, Krong Ana, KrongNo, Dong Nai rivers; large and beautiful lakes such as Tuyen Lam, Dan Kia SuoiVang (Lam Dong), Lak (Dak Lak), Bien Ho (Gia Lai), and hydroelectric lakes ofYaly and Dai Ninh, and such beautiful waterfalls as Dray Sap, Trinh Nu and DieuLinh. It is also home to 47 ethnic minority groups with unique cultures.
Deputy Director General of the Vietnam NationalAdministration of Tourism (VNAT) Ha Van Sieu said that the region is rich innatural resources and cultural identities, which are favourable conditions to developcommunity-based and experience tourism, such as tours to trade villages and explore ethnicminority’s cultures.
However, these types of tourism have not yet developedcommensurately, Sieu noted.
To untie “bottlenecks” to meet tourism developmentrequirements, Nguyen Duy Thuy, Director of the Institute of Social Sciences inthe Central Highlands Region, said that region should look back on its investment attraction and infrastructure construction.
According to him, the region is lacking development connectivitybetween its localities, skilled human resources, and methodical programmes ontourism promotion to foreign countries.
Limited transport infrastructure and downgrading roads inthe region are also hindering the non-smoke industry from development, Thuystressed.
An elephant race in the Central Highlands. (Photo: dulichtaynguyen.org)
He proposed Central Highlands provinces build a shared database,rearrange the destination network, increase investment in the sector, improvethe quality of human resources, and step up promotion activities./.
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Dray Sap waterfall in Dak Nong province. (Photo: dulichtaynguyen.org) 
An elephant race in the Central Highlands. (Photo: dulichtaynguyen.org) 
