Representatives from Ho Chi Minh City and Central Highlands provinces met last weekend to discuss boosting cooperative tourism products at a conference in Kon Tum City.

According to Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, director of the Ho Chi Minh City tourism department, tourists from the southern metropolis account for more than 60 percent of the number of visitors to the Central Highlands region every year through services by Ho Chi Minh City-based travel companies.

Tours of the Central Highlands sold very well; however, many people still know little about the region due to relatively poor promotion.

Meanwhile, Vo Anh Tai, deputy director of leading tour operator Saigontourist Group, said the Central Highlands region is capable of offering cultural tourism products that are competitive in international markets.

But the region, which includes Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, and Dak Nong Provinces, has never been the first choice of tourists.

“The Central Highlands has enough natural resources to diversify its products from cultural to natural and adventurous tourism in order to meet a wide range of market segments,” Tai said.

“Besides existing products, the provinces still need to create new trendy products while improving local services and ensuring safety,” he added. 

To boost tourism development cooperation, the localities agreed on four contents in terms of state management, product development, joint tourism promotion, and workforce training.

Local tourism associations and businesses will also play an important role in such cooperation.

In the immediate future, the five provinces will focus on developing new products introduced at the conference.

Ahead of the conference on June 11, a delegation from Ho Chi Minh City surveyed famous tourist spots in Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Kon Tum from which tour operators introduced a number of new tourism products in the Central Highlands, promising to bring a large number of visitors to the region in the summer of 2022.

“Many destinations have inspired enterprises and local authorities to work on plans to boost tourism while ensuring conservation, education, and economic development,” Phan Thi Thang, deputy chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said of the survey.

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