Beautiful Vietnam » Travel
Kon Plong develops sustainable tourism
  • | nhandan | March 14, 2020 05:32 PM
With its abundance of natural beauty and great efforts made by local authorities, Kon Plong district in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum is establishing itself as an attractive destination, keeping on the right track to develop sustainable tourism.


  

Flowers blossom along Dak Ke lake

A land bestowed with gifts from nature

Located on the National Highway 24 connecting Kon Tum and other Central Highlands and central coastal provinces, Kon Plong district has a total area of more than 137,000 hectares.

Dubbed as “the second Da Lat” in the Central Highlands region, the district is surrounded by primary forests with a rate of forest coverage standing at more than 80%. The locality is home to many alluring lakes and waterfalls, as well as diverse flora and fauna, which create favourable conditions to develop both eco and adventure tourism.

Kon Plong district is also home to many ethnic groups in the district, including Xe Dang, Mo Nam, Ka Dong and Hre, who have preserved well their indigenous culture, traditional practices, folk musical instruments and costumes.

One of the most attractive places to visit in Kon Plong is Mang Den Ecotourist Site in Dak Long commune. Located at more than 1,000m above sea level, the site is cool all year round, with annual average temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius. It is home to primeval forests and gorgeous pine trees that are interspersed with beautiful lakes, waterfalls and springs.

In February 2013, the Prime Minister issued Decision 298/QD-TTg approving the construction plan of the Mang Den ecotourist site and Kon Plong township master plan in the Kon Plong district until 2030. Accordingly, the Mang Den ecological tourist site will be zoned off with a total area of over 138,000 hectares, its heart being the Kon Plong ecological township, which is planned to consist of 14,000 hectares.

Efforts made to develop sustainable tourism

Over the past year, Kon Plong district’s authorities have wanted to develop such forms of ecotourism, community-based tourism, cultural tourism and agricultural tourism. Many favourable policies on administrative procedures, land lease, and tax reduction and exemption, and investment in infrastructure construction, have been put forward to encourage businesses to invest more in the tourism sector, thus boosting the district’s economy.

As a result, a number of tourist projects, including four ecotourist ventures in Dak Ke lake, Hoang Vu trade and tourism site and Khanh Lam pagoda have been constructed and put into operation, attracting thousands of visitors.

In addition, two community-based tourism projects namely the Kon Pring and Vi O Lak Culture – Tourism Villages have been commenced, contributing to promoting local tourism while preserving traditional culture and improving locals’ livelihoods.

The district’s authorities have also been directed to plant thousands of cherry blossom trees, which unfurl across tourist sites every spring and attract numerous holiday-makers.

During their stay in the district, the vacationers can also join farm tours to garden houses where they can harvest fresh fruits, flowers and vegetables.

Local residents have been active in renovating their houses into homestay facilities in order to serve the increasing number of visitors while contributing to increasing their family’s income.

Thanks to its favourable natural conditions and the significant investment in tourism infrastructure, Kon Plong district’s hospitality sector has witnessed encouraging signs over the past few years.

The district welcomed nearly 100,000 holiday makers in the first two months of this year. In 2019, Mang Den ecotourist site greeted roughly 220,600 visitors, including approximately 5,650 foreigners, and earned more than VND50 billion (US$2.14 million) in tourism revenue.

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