The merger of the two provinces of Dak Lak and Phu Yen (former administrative unit), effective from July 1, 2025, is not merely an administrative adjustment of provincial boundaries but also carries strategic significance in restructuring the regional development space. Within this newly defined spatial framework, Dak Lak Province establishes a direct linkage between the Central Highlands, the South Central Coast, and the East Sea, thereby laying a solid foundation for leveraging integrated advantages as well as driving growth in the coming period.
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| Post-merger, Dak Lak’s development space being expanded from the highlands to the open sea. |
A new development space and an inter-regional position
Following the merger, Dak Lak Province now covers an area of more than 18,096 km², with a population exceeding 3.3 million. It is the third-largest locality nationwide in terms of natural area, comprising 102 commune-level administrative units, and uniquely endowed with the combined advantages of forests, the sea, and a gateway to international integration.
Dak Lak occupies a central position along the Central Highlands - South Central Coast connectivity axis, playing a pivotal role in shaping the East - West development corridor. The expansion of its development space towards the sea, featuring a coastline of nearly 189 km together with a system of bays, lagoons, straits, inlets, and natural seaports, provides favorable conditions for the province to advance its marine-based economy, logistics, tourism, and exports.
The direct connectivity between the highland region and the coastal area not only expands Dak Lak’s development potentials but also enhances the province’s strategic position within the inter-regional economic network, contributing to deeper access for goods from the vast inland areas to regional and international markets.
Economic scale and growth drivers
After the merger, the economic scale of Dak Lak Province has expanded significantly, inheriting the strengths and development potentials of both Dak Lak and Phu Yen (former province). Agriculture continues to serve as a core pillar of the economy, with key products such as coffee, pepper, and durian undergoing restructuring towards high-tech agriculture, deep processing, and sustainable development.
The addition of maritime space has created favorable conditions for complementary economic sectors to interact, forming integrated value chains that link raw material areas in the Central Highlands with coastal aquaculture, fishing, and seafood processing. This linkage contributes to the diversification of export products, enhancing value added and strengthening the competitiveness of local goods.
Industry - construction have emerged as key drivers of economic growth, particularly in processing and manufacturing industries, as well as renewable energy sectors such as wind power, solar power, and biomass energy. These sectors are identified as a foundational platform for Dak Lak to attract large-scale, high-technology, and environmentally friendly investment projects.
Simultaneously, the provincial transportation and logistics infrastructure system continues to be developed in a coordinated and integrated manner. Dak Lak currently possesses a full range of transport modes, including road, rail, air, and inland waterways. Among these, East - West connectivity corridors, inter-regional transport routes, and links between raw-material areas and seaports are regarded as key factors in reducing transportation costs, improving logistics efficiency, and promoting inter-regional economic development.
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| Construction activities on the North - South Expressway segment passing through eastern Dak Lak Province. |
Culture, tourism and diverse identity
Within the new development space, Dak Lak Province’s cultural and tourism landscape has expanded significantly, bringing together the distinctive characteristics of both the Central Highlands and the South Central Coast. The province possesses a diverse ecosystem encompassing primary forests, lakes, waterfalls, plateaus, and largely unspoiled coastal areas, providing favorable conditions for the development of integrated and highly interconnected tourism products.
Dak Lak is home to 49 ethnic groups, forming a rich and diverse cultural mosaic. The province currently encompasses the Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands and the Art of Bai Choi, both of which are intangible cultural heritage elements recognized by UNESCO. The coexistence of distinctive cultural values from the highland and coastal regions within a unified administrative space provides a favorable foundation for heritage preservation and the development of distinctive cultural tourism products.
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| The Rhythm of the Central Highlands Gongs. |
Alongside its system of revolutionary historical sites and notable cultural monuments, Dak Lak possesses a diverse culinary culture closely associated with the forest-sea continuum. The province’s globally renowned coffee brand is being leveraged as a signature asset in the development of experiential tourism and agritourism, contributing to the diversification of tourism products and the promotion of Dak Lak’s image in both domestic and international markets.
Building on these integrated advantages, the province’s tourism sector is oriented toward green, smart, and interregional development, linking forest-sea-lake-waterfall-heritage tourism products. This approach aims to gradually position tourism as a key economic sector within Dak Lak’s socio-eco development structure.
Development orientation for the coming period
For the 2026–2030 period, Dak Lak Province aims to achieve an average GRDP growth rate of 10.5% per year or higher, with total social investment exceeding VND 620 trillion and state budget revenues increasing by an average of at least 11% per year. Based on the objectives for the 2025-2030 term, the province identifies the promotion of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation closely linked with administrative reform as a strategic breakthrough and the primary driving force for development.
The implementation focus is on removing bottlenecks, unlocking resources, and enhancing governance effectiveness and administrative capacity, thereby creating an open, transparent, and business-friendly environment that helps attract investors and drive the provincial socio-eco development. Simultaneously, the province places strong emphasis on human resource development and improving the quality of public services and digital services, with the aim of achieving rapid and sustainable growth.
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| Buon Ma Thuot is increasingly emerging as a vibrant urban center. |
