Lam Dong (VNA) – Lam Dong province’s Lac Duong district, known as the "roof" of the Central Highlands region for its location at an altitude of 1,700m, is making efforts to spur the local community-based tourism economy.
Cao Anh Tu, head of the Lac Duong Division of Culture and Information, said the locality has so far focused on the development of diverse tourism products associated with communal cultural activities, particularly community-based models prompting typical identities of ethnic minorities in the area.
Indigenous people, accounting for about 70% of the district’s population and mostly from the K'Ho ethnic minority group, have maintained their unique cultural features such as their gong culture, festivals, traditional music, brocade weaving and ruou can (fermented rice wine).
Lac Duong’s B'No C village, a renowned tourist attraction of Lam Dong, is where traditional K'Ho ethnic culture has been well preserved over the years. Currently, more than 70 local households belonging to the ethnic community are engaging in brocade weaving to serve tourists’ demand for hands-on experience in the village. The local clean coffee production activities are also a draw to visitors.
According to Ha Tien, Secretary of B'No C Village's Party Cell, while engaging in tourism activities, local people have become more conscious in building and preserving their traditional culture and protecting the environment.
Community-based tourism also helps improve their economic conditions, he noted.
In 2022, Lac Duong hosted more than 2.1 million tourists and earned nearly 188 billion VND (7.99 million USD), up 594.6% and 390.3%, respectively. The number of visitors and revenue are expected to hit 3 million and over 395 billion VND by 2030, creating jobs for 3,000 people./.