Merging 3 provinces Lam Dong - Dak Nong - Binh Thuan: Unleashing economic - tourism potential

After merging Dak Nong, Lam Dong, and Binh Thuan to become the new Lam Dong province with the largest area in the country, it will form an East-West economic linkage axis, promoting the strengths of each locality, and reaching out to the ocean.

Economic linkage axis creates room for stronger development

According to Dr. Dinh Kiem (economic expert in Ho Chi Minh City), the merger of the three provinces of Dak Nong, Lam Dong, and Binh Thuan creates a new administrative entity; a diverse collection and creates a space for rich resources from the lands in the Central Highlands to the sea of Binh Thuan . With the existing infrastructure, the regional connection between the three provinces will support production, socio-economic development, tourism and promote the common growth target.

Ta Dung Lake tourism promises to "take off" when it comes to the new Lam Dong province

Photo: Huu Tu

Lam Dong and Dak Nong have strengths in resources and agricultural ecosystems with strengths such as long-term industrial crops, temperate fruits, forestry, services - tourism and livestock. In particular, the two provinces have billions of tons of bauxite mineral reserves, each year two factories in Tan Rai and Nhan Co produce about 1.3 million tons of alumina. Lam Dong stands out in the field of high-tech agriculture, leading the country with many rich agricultural products such as: vegetables, flowers, tea, coffee, silk and cold-water fish.

With Binh Thuan, a land with diverse natural resources, with the largest titanium reserves in the country; is a locality with solid resources to develop marine economy, tourism, energy, especially renewable energy due to the sunny and windy South Central Coast.

Mr. Nguyen Tri Ky, Chairman of the Dak Nong Province Business Association, commented: "The connection with Binh Thuan - Lam Dong will open up great opportunities for Dak Nong to become the capital of vegetables, second only to Lam Dong. In addition, products such as pepper, coffee, cocoa and other fruits will be easily transported to Binh Thuan's industrial parks for processing and export."

An economic expert expects that, when merging, in addition to promoting logistics development, convenient mineral transportation to Vinh Tan international port (Binh Thuan) will attract many other industries to reach out to the sea.

Tourists come to Da Lat train station

Photo: Lam Vien

"The focus on investing in strong infrastructure development and inter-regional connectivity of the three provinces of Dak Nong, Lam Dong and Binh Thuan will create room for stronger and more sustainable development," said Dr. Dinh Kiem.

Diverse "sea and flower" tourism products

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Khoa, Chairman of Binh Thuan Province Tourism Association, after Binh Thuan merges with Lam Dong, Dak Nong will create unique tourism products between sea tourism and flower tourism.

International tourists at Mui Ne beach

Photo: Que Ha

Binh Thuan has many beautiful beaches with a length of about 192 km, known as the land of "blue sea - white sand - golden sunshine", this is an extremely advantageous tourism resource of this locality. Binh Thuan has two national marine reserves, Cu Lao Cau and Phu Quy Island. The strengths of Binh Thuan tourism are resorts, experiencing sand dunes, exploring Phu Quy Island and especially sea sports (swimming, kite surfing, windsurfing...) which are popular with international tourists. In 2024, with the core destination being Mui Ne National Tourist Area, Binh Thuan tourism industry welcomed nearly 10 million visitors; revenue reached nearly 26,000 billion VND (up nearly 18% over the same period).

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Thanh Ca, former Director of the Institute of Marine and Island Research, said, "Mui Ne is already a famous coastal area. In the future, with the effective implementation of the master plan for the construction of Mui Ne National Tourist Area by 2040, with a vision to 2050, Mui Ne will become a famous coastal area both domestically and internationally."

Meanwhile, the strengths of Lam Dong tourism are climate, landscape and flowers, with the focus on the flower city of Da Lat. Da Lat is blessed with a cool climate all year round, with outstanding tourism products such as eco-tourism; adventure tourism, agricultural tourism, cultural exploration... In particular, Lam Dong has two national parks, Cat Tien and Bidoup - Nui Ba, and the Lang Biang World Biosphere Reserve, which are very suitable for developing eco-tourism combined with adventure sports tourism activities. In 2024, Lam Dong will welcome over 10 million tourists.

If Lam Dong has the gong culture of ethnic minorities, Binh Thuan has Cham culture (Ka Te festival, Ramuwan festival) mixed with fishing village culture. "Between the two destinations Mui Ne and Da Lat, connected by the tourism products as mentioned above, I think it will be a great mutual support. It will create unique and diverse tourism products on the basis of combining sea tourism and flower tourism", Mr. Khoa analyzed.

In Dak Nong, there are outstanding tourist attractions such as UNESCO Global Geopark, Dak G'lun waterfall, Ta Dung lake which is considered Ha Long Bay in the Central Highlands... After merging the 3 provinces, there will be opportunities to get closer to domestic and foreign tourists, the potential will be unleashed.

In addition, the adventure trekking tour of Ta Nang - Phan Dung route, about 60 km long, through primeval pine forests with diverse terrain, connecting Lam Dong and Binh Thuan, is very popular with foreign tourists.

Mr. Cao The Anh, Vice President of Lam Dong Tourism Association, said that Lam Dong's tourism strengths are Da Lat, the Flower Festival City, the Asian Festival City and the UNESCO Creative City in the field of music. Lam Dong is also home to many unique intangible cultural heritages, including the gong cultural space, Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks and the Lang Biang World Biosphere Reserve. "If Da Lat is connected to Mui Ne and the UNESCO Global Geopark, it will create a breakthrough in attracting domestic and foreign tourists," Mr. Cao The Anh emphasized.

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Thanh Ca hopes that the new Lam Dong province will have both mountains and sea with many famous landscapes, and Lam Dong's tourism and resort industry will develop remarkably in the future.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/sap-nhap-3-tinh-lam-dong-dak-nong-binh-thuan-khoi-day-tiem-nang-kinh-te-du-lich-185250616231311074.htm