Located in the Northern Central Highlands, Kon Tum is famous for its community tourism villages imbued with national cultural identity.
A typical example is Kon K'lor village ( Kon Tum city), located along the Dak Bla river, famous for Kon K'lor suspension bridge and traditional fence houses. Kon Pring village (Mang Den town, Kon Plong district) is home to the Mo Nam people, attracting tourists thanks to its typical stilt houses and beautiful natural landscapes.
Many other tourist villages are also being invested in for development such as Kon Trang Long Loi (Dak Ha district), Vi Ro Ngheo ( Kon Plong district) and Tu Tho (Tu Mo Rong district).
Although community tourism in Kon Tum has developed strongly after the COVID-19 pandemic, the exploitation process still has many difficulties to overcome.
Ms. Y Hoa, owner of an accommodation facility in Mang Den, said: "Some villages have convenient locations near the main road, but many places are far from residential areas, making it difficult to travel on the roads. For example, Vi Ro Ngheo village is more than 40km from the town center, with rugged mountainous terrain".
In addition, service infrastructure such as accommodation, electricity, water, and internet is limited, causing tourists to mainly visit during the day and then return to Mang Den town.
Mr. Tran Bang, a tourist from Binh Duong, shared: "The entertainment and dining services in the villages are still monotonous. Local people are not fluent in foreign languages, making it difficult to welcome international visitors.
Therefore, most tourists still gather at major tourist attractions such as Mang Den National Eco-tourism Area, Mang Den Lady Monument, Pa Sy Waterfall or Ngoc Linh ginseng garden.
For community tourism in Kon Tum to develop sustainably, there needs to be close coordination between people, businesses and local authorities.
In response to this requirement, the Standing Committee of Kon Tum Provincial Party Committee has directed the mobilization of social resources to invest in infrastructure development, improve the quality of tourism services, while ensuring the balance of benefits and preserving local cultural identity.
Training and professional development for the community is an important factor, helping people improve their skills, proactively participate in tourism activities and develop typical products based on traditional cultural values.
Travel businesses play a bridging role, bringing tourists to community tourism villages, while supporting people in promoting and applying digital technology to attract tourists and create stable sources of income.
In recent years, Kon Tum has also focused on preserving traditional cultural values such as Central Highlands gongs, brocade weaving, fur houses and traditional musical instruments, while also contributing to the work of protecting natural landscapes, avoiding over- exploitation that causes negative impacts on the environment.
If the above solutions are synchronously implemented, community tourism in Kon Tum will not only create economic value but also contribute to preserving cultural identity, promoting sustainable development for the locality. Thereby, the province aims to welcome 2.5 million visitors by 2025.
