Dak Lak’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has officially launched alongside put into use the “Dak Lak Culinary Passport”.

Each dish - A story of identity

The “Culinary Passport” is designed as a travel companion handbook, with each page introducing a signature dish alongside a notable dining destination. As visitors explore, they receive stamps, serving as “visas” marking their gastronomic journey. The product also integrates QR codes and a digital map, enabling easy access to information while ensuring seamless connections between destinations throughout the trip.

Carrying the message “Savour the Central Highlands, fall in love with the coast”, the passport unveils a diverse culinary landscape, from traditional dishes of ethnic communities together with coastal specialties to a fusion of regional and international cuisines. According to statistics, 88 dining venues currently offer incentives for passport holders, while nearly 200 businesses have registered, spanning transport, accommodation, retail as well as food services.

Visitors enjoying bun do while collecting stamps for their culinary passport.

From a creative perspective, Ms. Cao Thi Minh Nguyet, Director of Tuy Hoa Young Media Company, shared: “As a partner collaborating with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in designing the Dak Lak Food Passport, we aimed beyond a simple discount card, instead building a dynamic experiential map. The passport serves as a guide, leading visitors toward authentic local values, from a bowl of rich "bun do" as well as a cup of Buon Ma Thuot coffee to coastal specialties such as ocean tuna, O Loan blood cockles alongside Song Cau lobster, etc.”.

Mr. Nguyen Le Vu, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, noted: “We believe cuisine is the most direct language connecting visitors’ hearts with local culture. Offering the passport free of charge, together with 5-10% incentives, provides a practical solution linking businesses with tourists, gradually shaping a sustainable tourism ecosystem while promoting night-time economy and green tourism”.

When culinary experiences become a driver of tourism

In practice, the “Dak Lak Culinary Passport” is generating positive shifts in how visitors experience destinations and extend their stays.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy An, a tourist from Hanoi, shared: “This is an engaging concept. The passport feels like a collection game, navigating me through countless culinary options while motivating deeper exploration”.

From a business perspective, Mr. Le Phuc Long, Sales Director of Rosa Alba’s representative office in Buon Ma Thuot, observed: “Previously, visitors tended to make brief stops before departure. Now, with the culinary passport, stay duration has increased significantly. Travellers enjoy collecting destinations along with immersive experiences, creating favourable conditions for businesses to develop in-depth tour products aligned with current trends”.

Mr. Nguyen Son Hung, Head of Tourism Management Division under Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, emphasised that the initiative goes beyond promotion, representing a strategic step. “Through cuisine, we tell stories about history and people across ethnic communities, while linking coastal tourism with Central Highlands, thereby forming a distinctive experience chain”, he said.

Overall, the “Dak Lak Culinary Passport” goes beyond recording memorable meals; it introduces a new approach to local tourism. From small stamps on each page emerges a broader journey, where cuisine becomes a bridge between visitors and culture, linking experiences with lasting memories.

Translated by HAI LOAN