These days, Gia Lai is attracting the attention of domestic and international tourists with a series of activities during the opening week of the National Tourism Year 2026. Gia Lai's tourism industry is facing a great opportunity to break through, especially after the administrative boundary merger.
Expanding and connecting forest and sea spaces.
The merger of Gia Lai province with Binh Dinh province has created a land where the majestic landscapes of the Central Highlands and the expansive beauty of the South Central coast intersect, forming a unique "golden forests, silver seas" tourism ecosystem.
Gia Lai not only possesses a multi-layered, diverse, and inter-regional tourism resource system that harmoniously combines tradition and modernity, but also boasts a rare system of geological heritage and pristine ecosystems. This is a crucial foundation for the locality to develop green tourism and ecotourism in a selective manner, offering visitors profound experiences derived from natural values.
Gia Lai is also considered a "living museum" of indigenous culture, with many heritage sites of ethnic groups such as the Ba Na and Gia Rai... preserved intact. Among these, the cultural space of gong music, traditional festivals, handicrafts, and communal house architecture stand out, creating a rich and distinctive source of cultural tourism resources.
Many experts believe that the above factors are Gia Lai's distinct advantages, as it uses natural and cultural resources as core assets to create sustainable tourism products. Tourists visiting Gia Lai will not feel bored, as a single trip can offer two experiences: beach tourism and highland tourism.
The gong culture of the Central Highlands - a unique highlight of Gia Lai tourism. Photo: DUC ANH
Ky Co - a famous beautiful beach in Quy Nhon Dong ward, Gia Lai province. Photo: DUC ANH
Refreshing distinctive tourism product lines.
According to Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, the selection of Gia Lai as the host city for the 2026 National Tourism Year stems from its fundamental advantages in natural and cultural resources, and reflects high expectations for the local area's potential for sustainable tourism development.
During the National Tourism Year, the host locality is prioritized to focus resources on developing tourism products, strengthening communication, positioning the destination's image, and improving management efficiency. Gia Lai's hosting of the 2026 National Tourism Year is an important opportunity for the locality to affirm its position and promote its tourism potential to domestic and international tourists.
According to Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, along with units under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will focus on showcasing the people, resources, and unique tourism products of Gia Lai. Simultaneously, they will intensify communication efforts regarding events taking place in the locality.
"The National Tourism Year 2026 will create a strong impetus, contributing to an increase in the number of international tourists to Gia Lai; and at the same time contributing to the overall goal of Vietnam's tourism industry: welcoming 25 million international tourists and 150 million domestic tourists," - the Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration expects.
According to Nguyen Thi Thanh Lich, Vice Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee, the province aims to develop tourism products in depth, focusing on quality and using cultural stories as the central element to create unique and distinctive products. "Gia Lai hopes to spread the message about preserving and promoting cultural values, while also protecting forest and marine resources," she stated.
To ensure that the National Tourism Year truly becomes a boost for Gia Lai in particular and the Vietnamese tourism industry in general, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung suggested that the locality strengthen links with major tourism businesses to promote market connections, expand the source of tourists, and improve the effectiveness of cooperation.
"Gia Lai needs to focus on upgrading and revitalizing its distinctive tourism products such as ecotourism, beach and island tourism, community tourism, golf tourism, and sports tourism... In particular, Gia Lai needs to prioritize leveraging its advantages in natural resources, cultural heritage, and local identity," Minister Nguyen Van Hung emphasized.
The "signature" destination of Vietnamese tourism.
Ms. Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Deputy General Director of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, noted that Gia Lai's outstanding strengths are its pristine natural resources, unique forest-waterfall-lake ecosystem, and rich indigenous cultural identity. In particular, the Central Highlands Gong Culture Space has been recognized by UNESCO as a "masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity".
In the context of the strong shift in tourism trends towards experiential and exploratory tourism, nature-based relaxation, and green tourism, Ms. Thanh Tra believes that Gia Lai has a great advantage in attracting mid-to-high-end tourists, international tourists, and domestic tourists who want to "travel slower and have deeper experiences."
Based on Saigontourist's business operations, Ms. Thanh Tra stated that some of the types of tourism that attract the most interest from both domestic and international tourists visiting Gia Lai include: ecotourism - nature exploration (T'Nung Lake, Phu Cuong Waterfall, Kon Ka Kinh primeval forest), cultural and community tourism (experiencing Jrai and Bahnar villages, participating in gong performances), tourism combined with sports and exploration (trekking, trail running, cycling through the forest), and inter-provincial itineraries connecting Gia Lai with the former Phu Yen province.
"It can be said that Gia Lai has all the elements to become a 'signature' destination of Vietnamese tourism if it receives proper investment and effective marketing," Ms. Thanh Tra emphasized.
The National Tourism Year 2026 is expected to include 244 events, comprising 18 events chaired by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; 117 events jointly organized by 22 provinces and cities; and 109 events implemented by Gia Lai province.
According to the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee, the National Tourism Year 2026 is of particular importance as tourism has been identified as one of the five economic pillars of the province for the period 2026-2030. Gia Lai aims to welcome 18.5 million tourists annually by 2030, including more than 1 million international visitors.
Th. Phuong
Source: https://nld.com.vn/cu-hich-tu-nam-du-lich-quoc-gia-19626032919184444.htm
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