11:04:11 AM | 25/1/2006
Despite its later development beginnings, in Gia Lai province tourism is considered to be a spearhead sector as the province boasts great potential for the industry to develop.
The nature, ecology, cultural traditions and people in Gia Lai province are precious resources for the province to develop its tourism trade. The province boasts many beautiful landscapes and famous historical relic sites, such as Bien Ho, Tay Son Thuong Dao complex, Stor village and Pleiku prison. Also, the province is home to people of different ethnic minority groups with specific cultural traditions, including Jrai and Bahnar. Each ethnic group in Gia Lai has its own traditions, customs and festivals, creating a cultural treasure of the province.
Furthermore, Gia Lai has large-sized irrigation and hydro-electric power works with large reservoirs in the Central Highlands, including Yaly and Ayun Ha, which are useful for the province’s ecology. The province has many beautiful waterfalls for tourism development, such as Phu Cuong, Ianhi, Le Kim, Yang Yung, Bau Can and Cong Chua (Princess).
When the building of the Ho Chi Minh national highway is open to traffic, linking Gia Lai province with central coastal localities, the Duc Co border gate will receive investment to become a border gate economic zone with roads to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. This will be a good opportunity for the province’s tourism to take off.
In recent years, Gia Lai’s tourism has made great efforts and gained significant achievements. Accordingly, the province’s tourism sector has completed its master plan for the 1998-2010 period, forming and developing specific attractions and tours, including the Bahnar cultural research tours to Kon Tang commune, the Jarai cultural research tour to Iamonong commune, Chu Pah districts, and tours to the Yaly hydro-electric power plant and the Ayun Ha lake, as well as trekking tours from Iapa to Kongchr. The local tourism facilities have witnessed a rapid development. Accordingly, the number of hotels and guesthouses has increased from 14 with 434 rooms to 22 with 590 rooms.
The local tourism sector is concentrating on master-planning major tourist attractions, including the Phu Cuong waterfall tourist site, which has been approved with a total investment capital of VND 13 billion for infrastructure development. The province is conducting surveys and developing projects on building other tourist sites, including Bien Ho, Ayung Ha, Konkakinh National Park and the Dak Po Hill. The province is boosting the development of its infrastructure facilities with investment encouragement mechanisms. As a result, local enterprises have boosted their investment in high quality hotels, including the four-star hotel of Hoang Anh, the three-star hotel of Tre Xanh Plaza. Apart from improving the quality of their products and services, these hotels are upgrading their meeting and conference halls to international standard. More hotels are also under construction. The province is striving to have ten hotels, meeting the standards of two and four-star hotels in 2010, bringing total hotel rooms to around 1,500.
To tap fully its potential and advantages for tourism development, turning the sector into a spearhead one throughout 2010, Gia Lai tourism will implement synchronously solutions including the adjustment and supplement to its master plan for tourism development in the 1998-2010 period in accordance with the province’s landscape; the promotion of the attraction of capital and human resources. At the same time, the province will boost the implementation of feasible projects, prioritising ecological and cultural tourism ones. Gia Lai will boost co-operation in tourism with other provinces in the Central Highlands and Central Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City, while creating and building the Gia Lai tourism trademark in the market. At the same time, tourism products will be diversified. To that end, Gia Lai tourism needs support and co-operation for gaining a high effectiveness during the industrialisation and modernisation process.
Tran The Vinh
Director of Department of Trade and Tourism