On August 17^th, the Dak Lak Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with the Binh Duong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a seminar to share experiences on tourism development between the two provinces.

At the seminar, representatives of the two provinces informed about their tourism advantages, potentials, products and development orientation as well as exchanged and shared experiences on investment attraction, tourism promotion, and tourism socialization.

Scene from the seminar

Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong, Deputy Director of the Binh Duong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that Binh Duong Province has a developed economy, long history and culture, and diverse tourism products. The highlight is spiritual tourism with Hoi Khanh Pagoda, Ba Pagoda and the Lady Thien Hau palanquin procession which takes place on the full moon of the first Lunar month every year. Besides, eco-tourism is also popular with Lai Thieu orchards, green tourism, and river tourism. Special cuisines here are mangosteen salad and durian grilled chicken. Binh Duong Province also has 29 industrial parks, of which 27 industrial parks have been put into operation. Currently, the Province is focusing on exploiting industrial tourism.

In addition to the traditional craft villages and tourist attractions, Binh Duong Province has focused on developing shopping malls, restaurants and hotels to serve the needs of tourists. Because Dak Lak Province has a lot of potential for tourism development, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong wished that Dak Lak Province would share orientations and methods of developing community-based tourism and homestay tourism, implementing regional linkages and socialization in tourism development, and solving difficulties in attracting investment in order to exchange, support, and connect between the two provinces.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong, Deputy Director of the Binh Duong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, delivers a speech at the seminar

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Phuong Hieu, Deputy Director of the Dak Lak Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that Dak Lak Province has a convenient transportation system, a diverse culture with 49 ethnic groups, 41 ranked relics, 228 accommodations, 27 tourist areas and tourist attractions, museums and many collectors of pottery, stone, and ethnic minority costumes and jewelry on site. The Province's tourism is gradually recovering and developing after being affected by the COVID-19 epidemic for a long time.

Recently, although the Province has attracted many investors to survey, there have not been any big investors investing in tourism. The Province’s agricultural products are diversified, but its agricultural tourism model is still limited. Tourism products for international tourists are few. Therefore, the number of tourists to the Province is not high, averaging less than 1 million tourists per year. Currently, the Province has issued a Code of Conduct associated with tourism to impress tourists. Dak Lak Province wishes to exchange and learn experiences from Binh Duong Province on agricultural tourism and attracting investment in tourism.

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Phuong Hieu, Deputy Director of the Dak Lak Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, delivers a speech at the seminar

At the seminar, the delegates shared experiences and suggestions for tourism development of Binh Duong and Dak Lak. The seminar is a meaningful and practical program that contributes to connecting to create new tourism products, supporting the improvement of tourism products of the two provinces, and attracting tourists to visit and experience.