The mostly agricultural province considers tourism one of its key economic sectors. Despite its remote location, the province has been developing consistent, high-quality tourism infrastructure, attracting strategic investors in high-class, large-scale tourism and shopping projects by leading domestic businesses.

Nguyen Van Binh, Director of the Kon Tum Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the province currently has 153 tourist accommodation establishments with a total of 2,183 rooms, and annual room occupancy rate of 65-75 percent. Investment in transport infrastructure on key routes has contributed to the development of three provincial economic zones in the East-West economic corridor. Kon Tum has recognized 10 province-based tourist attractions, including six sites in Kon Plong District, one in Dak Ha District, and three in the city of Kon Tum, while promoting ecotours, community-based tours, and cultural, historical and spiritual tours, among others.

Speaking at an April event organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to discuss tourism development in the province, Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said Kon Tum needs appropriate policies to take advantage of opportunities, attract further investment in tourism and turn tourism into an important economic sector that can help promote rapid, sustainable development.

Kon Tum needs to develop infrastructure to ease access to its tourist destinations, especially the renowned ones such as the Mang Den forest ecotourism site and Chu Mom Ray National Park, and invest in the development of public cultural works, museums, theaters, entertainment centers, golf courses, as well as market research and tourism promotion, he added.

Mang Den, a famous tourist site in Kon Tum

Kon Tum is attractive to visitors partially thanks to unique local cultures of its ethnic groups

The wooden cathedral of Kon Tum Diocese

The wild sunflower season in Kon Tum

Nguyen Tan Thanh, Chair of the Tourism Association of Gia Lai Province, recommended that Kon Tum to strengthen cooperation with southern central coastal provinces and the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam development triangle to create unique, high-quality tourist offerings.

Economist Tran Dinh Thien said Kon Tum needs to be connected with destinations in the region, give priority to tourism development and focus on exploiting the core, unique values ​​of the Central Highlands and its verdant mountainous terrain.

Phung Quang Thang, Vice Chair of the Vietnam Travel Association, said that Kon Tum needs to invest in developing cultural tourism products reflecting the province’s indigenous native beauty, and rural tourism with OCOP (one commune one product) products, especially Ngoc Linh ginseng. Thang also urged training professional tourism management teams and investing in advertising to attract tourists to Kon Tum and the Central Highlands region.

Kon Tum Province aims to become a prominent tourist destination in the Central Highlands by developing unique green, high-quality and sustainable tourist offerings.

Hoa Quynh