HCMC, Central Highlands localities boost tourism cooperation

The Central Highlands region, which is one of the seven key tourism areas of the country, has a large potential for tourism development thanks to its spectacular natural landscapes and cultural indemnities of ethnic minorities.

HCMC and localities of the region have carried out tourism cooperation programs, including sharing the experience of administrative management, organizing tourism promotion activities, and training human resources. Protecting and developing tourist products, said Director of the HCMC Tourism Department Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa.

As a result, the tourism industry and travel businesses of provinces and cities have cooperated to promote and connect their new products in travel events and tourism promotion activities that will be organized in the upcoming time, she added.

According to surveys by travel agencies, more than 60 percent of tourists visiting the Central Highlands provinces come from HCMC. The Southern economic hub and neighbors need to focus on improving efforts on constraints of tourism promotion activities which are unmatched for potentials, and long-distance trips linking provinces and cities, she noted.

Organizations and businesses operating in the tourism sector of HCMC proposed that provinces in the Central Highlands region need to improve transport infrastructure linking with local tourist attractions; invest and call for investment in the fields of tourism infrastructure, including accommodation, food services, human training and raising the people’s awareness about community-based tourism; build tourism villages and night markets as well as offer tours to forest parks.

Vice Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Kon Tum Province said that the province is facing challenges in seeking investment resources, attracting strategic investors and leading enterprises, the weak competitiveness of human resources, and a shortage of high-quality, skilled laborers. The province hoped that the People’s Committee and the Tourism Department of HCMC would continue to bring businesses and investors to the locality. The provincial authorities will always create favorable conditions for investors to exploit tourism potential.

Vice Chairwoman of the HCMC People’s Committee Phan Thi Thang hoped that the People’s Committees and Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of cities and provinces will improve the quality of the products, services and human resources in order to strengthen cooperation and support, and create favorable conditions for HCMC’s businesses.