Asserting Brand of Dak Nong Tourism

 

Dak Nong is known for its unique and attractive tourism resources, given the forest area of 343.944 ha, many forests for special use, natural reserves which are untouched such as Nam Nung, Ta Dung Reserves etc. Besides, the province also has a high density of lakes, springs, ponds and river network including Serepok, Dong Nai Rivers, Dak R’Tinh, Dong Nai 3, Tay Dak Mil, Ea Sno, Doan Van lakes etc and scenic and splendid waterfalls such as Dray Sap – Gia Long – Trinh Nu, Dak G’lung, Luu Ly, Dak Buk Sor, Len Gun, Lien Nung waterfalls etc. These form ideal conditions to promote eco-tourism and resorts.

 

In addition, Dak Nong is home of many ethnic groups with diverse cultural festivals such as community gathering festival (M’Nong group), Forest Saint Worship Ceremony (Ma group), Harvest time festival (Jrai group) etc. Furthermore, cultural quintessence of ethnic groups has been preserved quite well in Dak Nong, from stone musical instrument, dances and folk lyrics of M’Nong, Ma, Ede people; Ot N’Rong epic of M’Nong people to traditional products such as embroidery, knitting, sculpture and especially the space of gong culture in Central Highlands of Vietnam – UNESCO’s recognized masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

 

Moreover, many revolutionary- historical relics in Dak Nong have been ranked at national level such as B4 – Inter-province IV Base Resistance, focal point to release Ho Chi Minh Highway in section Southern Central Highlands and Southeast region; relics of French resistance campaigns led by N’Trang Long (Bumera military post, Henry Maitre, Bon Bu Nor Steles) Dak Mil Prison etc. These all are great potentials that can be exploited for tourism activities.

 

To best promote tourism potentials, for the past years, Dak Nong has actively held conferences and workshops in key tourism centers such as HCMC, Lam Dong, Hanoi, Dak Lak etc to advertise Dak Nong tourism. Apart from signing documents on association for tourism development with HCMC and Lam Dong province, the province also cooperates with Modulkiri province (Cambodia) to open the route from Dak Nong to Cambodia through Bu Prang border gate.

 

Such efforts have made up a new look for the province’s tourism. Tourism infrastructure has been quickly developed; unique tours formed and tourism products gradually diversified with forms of cultural-, eco-tourism and resorts in engagement with the province’s diverse tourism resources.

 

The provincial tourism infrastructure and facilities have been improved with two 3-star hotels, three 2-star ones and 13 standard ones and 112 hostels. The number of tourists and tourism turnover have seen constant growth year by year. During period 2006-2010, the number of tourists increased by 8.65 per cent/year on average. In 2011, the province greeted over 140,000 visitors (up by 1.4 per cent against 2010) and this number went up to 154,000 in 2012. Also by that year, there were 12 investment projects into tourism development with total registered capital of VND 783.2 billion.

 

Not only helping to increase social income and contribution to state budget, tourism development has created jobs for local labors, contributed to provincial economic growth and shifting as well as made up brand of Dak Nong tourism toward national and international tourists.

 

In Dak Nong’s master plan for tourism development in period 2011-2015 and orientation to 2020 which has been revised and supplemented in accordance with Resolution No. 09/2012/NQ-HDND dated 31/5/2012 by the Provincial People’s Council, Dak Nong seeks to make tourism the driving economic sector, contribute to socio-economic growth and shift economic pattern toward increasing proportion of tourism in GDP; targets that by 2020, Dak Nong becomes an appealing destination in the Central – Highland coastal region.

 

Accordingly, the province will concentrate on taking full advantage of tourism potentials and strengths to diversify tourism products and forms as well as improve service quality to make up breakthroughs and develop new tourism forms of eco tourism, resorts, adventurous tourism and tours to study local culture and history; invest into high quality visit sites to meet development requirements in integration time; develop tourism in a sustainable manner to preserve natural resources and promote traditional cultures, protect environment; emphasize domestic tourism development and gradually improve technical infrastructure to attract international tourists etc. In 2015, the province seeks to welcome 224,000 visitors and gain VND 126 billion tourism GDP, making up 1.46 per cent of the whole province’s GDP. These figures are expected to increase to 530,000 tourists, VND 528 billion of tourism turnover and proportion of 3.5 per cent of the province’s GDP respectively by 2020. In period 2015-2020, the tourist growth rate is anticipated to average 18.8 per cent.

 

The province will continue to promote tourism in a focal manner, pay attention to investing into comprehensive tourism service and particularly emphasize on tourism diversification and quality improvement to make up breakthroughs.

 

Dak Nong will also promote tourism toward comprehensiveness and harmony between eco-tourism, cultural tourism and other forms. Meanwhile, the province will concentrate on making full use of Dak Nong tourism strengths and potential; develop high quality visit site to meet integration requirements. Domestic tourism to be laid much attention and technical infrastructure gradually improved will help to attract international visitors. Tourism development will be driven by the target of economic efficiency, social culture and environmental value as well as decisive factors of product quality and brand. The enterprises then will play the role of development driving force in tourism sector.