Dak Lak province has currently possessed an incredibly rich cultural ecosystem, from majestic mountains to the blue sea in the East, which creates a foundation for developing a new-scale tourism promotion strategy, centered on heritage and with the community as the key driving force.

Developing tourism products

Drawing on 177 ranked historical sites, including five special national historical sites and 39 national ones, Dak Lak province is repositioning its tourism products to deeply exploit local identity values.

No longer confined to traditional sightseeing models, the locality has skillfully integrated intangible heritage such as the Central Highlands Gong Culture Space and the Central Vietnam Bai Choi Art, both recognized by UNESCO, into tourist experiences. In addition, the vitality of the coastal inhabitants has given rise to unique events like the Fishing Festival, honoring the heritage of the fishing community. In particular, the Dak Lak Tuna Festival 2026, themed “Golden Fishing Essence - Aspiration to Reach the Open Sea”, will be held in Tuy Hoa ward (expected in April-May) as an effective stimulus measure.

Nhan Tower - a special national architectural as well as artistic monument with significant historical, cultural, architectural, and religious value - becoming an important cultural alongside tourism highlight of Dak Lak province.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, heritage is an asset and an endogenous resource to promote sustainable development. Integrating indigenous knowledge together with the natural ecosystem into tourism products not only helps to preserve culture sustainably but also creates a unique competitive advantage for Dak Lak province in both domestic and international markets.

Unlocking resources, affirming its position

In its 2026 plan, Dak Lak province aimed for an ambitious target of 8 million tourist turns, generating total budget revenue of approximately 16,000 billion VND, a 17% increase compared to the previous year. To realize this vision, the province has implemented a comprehensive set of solutions to unlock resources, from improving transportation infrastructure connecting forests and the sea to promoting social mobilization alongside attracting strategic investors to key projects.

In particular, digital transformation has been identified as a crucial lever, with the publication of a digital tourism map and a culinary passport, making it easier for tourists to access and experience heritage values ​​in the digital space. Building standardized community tourism models and supporting local people's direct participation in the tourism value chain is key to making conservation more practical and sustainable. In addition, plans to upgrade transportation infrastructure linking forests with the sea, alongside attracting strategic investors to large-scale service and resort complexes are also being implemented simultaneously.

The coffee cultivation and care area becoming an attractive tourism destination in Dak Lak province.

According to the Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Tran Hong Tien, besides established heritages such as the Gong Culture Space, Bai Choi art, epics, and traditional crafts, Dak Lak province also possesses coffee culture – a living heritage that is developing strongly. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has currently submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister for consideration to allow the province to prepare a scientific dossier on intangible cultural heritage, to be inscribed on UNESCO lists, which is an important milestone demonstrating the attention of the Party, State, and Government to preserving and promoting the value of Vietnam's coffee cultural heritage, with Dak Lak playing a central role.

Dak Lak province aims to promote coffee heritage values in a way that harmoniously integrates green economy, sustainable agriculture, agricultural tourism, culture, creative ecosystems, and cultural industries. Simultaneously, it aims to disseminate community knowledge and improve the lives and livelihoods of the people. This orientation aligns with UNESCO's philosophy of community-based conservation, heritage-based development, and cultural sustainability.

Translated by TRINH THUY