Heritage belt - a highlight creating a breakthrough for Lam Dong

VTV.vn - After merging with Dak Nong and Binh Thuan, Lam Dong province has become the only locality in Vietnam to possess three UNESCO global heritage sites and two national tourist areas.

Dak Nong Geopark

From Langbiang peak through the Krong No volcanic area to Mui Ne beach, a "green heritage belt" is gradually taking shape, opening up a new direction for sustainable and ecological tourism development. This is not only a resonance of geographical space but also a convergence of natural, cultural and human values, promising to create a strong push for green growth and tourism economy of this land.

Heritage foundation creates distinct advantages

Recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve since 2015, Langbiang is the green gem of Lam Dong with an area of ​​over 275,000 hectares, including primeval forests, tropical broadleaf forests interspersed with temperate coniferous forests and moss forests and grasslands. The core area of ​​the reserve is Bidoup - Nui Ba National Park, which preserves rare genetic resources and the richest and most diverse ecosystem in Southeast Asia. This is also the long-standing home of the K'Ho and Ma communities - the owners of gong culture, traditional weaving and ecological agricultural lifestyle in harmony with nature.

Langbiang is currently the center of highland ecotourism with many attractive products such as trekking Bidoup - Nui Ba, experiencing the K'Ho Coffee community or high-tech agricultural tours. In the first 9 months of 2025 alone, Lam Dong welcomed more than 15.2 million visitors, an increase of nearly 18% over the same period, of which ecotourism accounts for an increasingly large proportion.

Krong No volcanic cave system seen from above.

In the West of the province, Dak Nong UNESCO Global Geopark was recognized in 2020 and re-recognized in 2024 - covering an area of ​​nearly 4,800 km² with 65 geological and cultural heritage sites. The Krong No volcanic cave system is more than 25 km long, recognized by the Japan Volcanic Cave Association as a Southeast Asian record, along with the immense Ta Dung lake, considered the "Ha Long Bay of the Central Highlands", creating great potential for exploration tourism, geological research and experiencing wild nature. Dak Nong Geopark is known as a giant "outdoor museum" preserving millions of years of Earth's memories, a particularly attractive destination in the journey to explore the Central Highlands for domestic and foreign tourists.

In addition to natural heritage, Lam Dong also owns the Central Highlands gong cultural space - "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" recognized by UNESCO in 2008. The sound of gongs resounding in the mountains and forests is considered a symbol of identity, a bridge connecting people with nature. Mr. Tran Thanh Hoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lam Dong, said that exploiting the gong space is not only to preserve heritage, but also to contribute to socio-economic development, improve the spiritual life of indigenous people and promote the image of Lam Dong - Central Highlands to the world.

Central Highlands gong cultural space - a tourism product popular with international visitors

At the center of the "heritage belt", Da Lat continues to affirm its leading role when it is recognized as an "ASEAN Clean Tourist City" and joins the UNESCO Global Creative Cities Network in the field of music. Along with that, Tuyen Lam Lake National Tourist Area - the first national tourist area in Vietnam - becomes an attractive resort and ecological destination, contributing to completing the overall picture of green plateau tourism.

New direction of sustainable tourism

In the Southeast, Mui Ne National Tourist Area (approved in 2018) plays an important role as a connecting point between the plateau and the sea. When the Dau Giay - Lien Khuong - Phan Thiet expressway and Phan Thiet airport are completed, the travel time from Da Lat to Mui Ne will be less than 3 hours, opening up a complete "forest - mountain - sea" tourist route. Visitors can start their journey from Langbiang primeval forest, cross the Ta Dung volcanic area, and end at the golden sand beach of Mui Ne - where the sun, wind and blue sea converge.

Da Lat City - the heart of Lam Dong

According to experts, Lam Dong needs to develop a "Green Heritage Belt" project for the 2025-2035 period to concretize the vision of sustainable development. This project aims to connect inter-regional infrastructure, develop unique tourism products and promote them internationally. The "Langbiang - Ta Dung - Mui Ne" route will become a typical green tourism axis, converging three ecosystems of forests, mountains and sea - a model suitable for the current global tourism development trend.

Along with the completion of the expressway system, airport and Phu Quy seaport, Lam Dong province is promoting comprehensive digital transformation in the tourism sector. Modern technology applications such as interactive digital maps, VR360 virtual reality experiences, or multilingual virtual assistant systems are being strongly deployed. The centralized tourism data system not only helps with effective management but also creates smart tourism experiences, personalizing the journey for each tourist.

Sea tourism is also a strength of Lam Dong with the highlight being Mui Ne National Tourist Area.

The province is also focusing on preserving and promoting indigenous cultural values, ensuring livelihoods for the community through community tourism models, experiential agriculture, and traditional handicrafts. The application of technology and smart management will help control destination capacity, protect the environment, and create conditions for people to directly benefit from tourism.

Source: https://vtv.vn/vanh-dai-di-san-diem-nhan-tao-suc-but-pha-cho-lam-dong-100251109193836556.htm