Despite encouraging progress, Dak Lak's tourism sector continues to face a range of structural challenges. A recent oversight exercise conducted by the Provincial People's Council's Committee for Culture and Social Affairs identified key bottlenecks as well as put forward recommendations to unlock tourism potential, paving the way for more sustainable development.

Workforce shortages and infrastructure gaps

Through field inspections at tourism enterprises, accommodation establishments, tourist sites along with destinations province-wide, the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council found that Dak Lak's tourism industry has begun to establish a distinctive identity through several community-based coupled with indigenous eco-tourism models that integrate traditional cultural preservation.

The Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council's oversight delegation conducting a field inspection at Tong Juon Community Tourism Village.

However, the quality of tourism products and services has yet to match the provincial potential, while workforce capacity remains insufficient to support professional development of the sector.

Ms. H'Yam Bkrong, Director of the Tong Bong Brocade Weaving Cooperative, said local residents have shown strong commitment to developing community-based tourism. However, infrastructure serving visitors remains inadequate. The tourism site currently has only one traditional longhouse shared by multiple activities, limiting its capacity to accommodate guests. Local people hope to receive support for the construction of a dedicated longhouse for brocade weaving demonstrations, along with professional training to enhance visitor services and improve the overall tourism experience.

Meanwhile, Dak Lak's tourism sector also continues to lack a diverse range of nighttime tourism products and large-scale integrated entertainment complexes capable of extending visitors' length of stay alongside increasing tourism spending.

Removing bottlenecks to attract investment

The oversight delegation also found that recognition of tourist attractions and tourism accommodation establishments has progressed slowly, while numerous community-based tourism models have yet to meet legal requirements. This has affected both state management and access to government support policies. Moreover, tourism development integration into land-use planning remains inconsistent in several localities, while limited land reserves for tourism have constrained investment attraction and development of new tourism products.

The oversight delegation from the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council conducting a field inspection at Ama Pi Homestay in Ako Dhong Village, Buon Ma Thuot Ward.

Addressing these issues, comrade Dao Thi Thanh An, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairwoman of the People's Council of Lien Son Lak Commune, said local authorities had adopted a thematic resolution with the goal of developing the commune into one of the provincial leading eco-cultural tourism destinations. However, efforts to attract eco-tourism investment continue to face obstacles related to forest land and the protected buffer zone surrounding Lak Lake scenic area. The commune hopes competent authorities will soon review as well as reclassify forestry land that no longer has forest cover, making it available to establish a land reserve for future tourism investment.

To help remove these bottlenecks, Mr. Le Van Cuong, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council and head of the oversight delegation, recommended that the PPC direct relevant agencies to review alongside consolidate practical difficulties before reporting them to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The ministry would then submit proposals to competent authorities to amend and supplement the 2017 Tourism Law together with related regulations, providing a stronger legal foundation for support policies and investment attraction.

The culture, sports and tourism sector should also incorporate outstanding community-based tourism destinations into provincial tour itineraries, while prioritising investment in transport infrastructure to improve connectivity. Simultaneously, it should develop sufficiently attractive incentive mechanisms to draw strategic investors into large-scale tourism projects, creating fresh momentum for growth of the local tourism industry.

Translated by HAI LOAN