LÂM ĐỒNG – A networking event was held in Đà Lạt City on June 6 to enhance cultural and tourism cooperation between the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng and its counterparts from the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Hosted by the Lâm Đồng People’s Committee in coordination with the Việt Nam–Korea Business and Investment Association (VKBIA), the event brought together tourism officials and business representatives from Lâm Đồng and the RoK’s Gyeonggi Province.

It served as a platform to deepen cultural exchanges, foster partnerships, and advance tourism development between the two localities.

VKBIA President Dr. Trần Hải Linh noted that the RoK remains one of Việt Nam’s most important tourism markets, with South Korean visitors known for their high spending power and long stays.

To strengthen tourism links with Lâm Đồng, VKBIA plans to implement a series of support measures for RoK businesses interested in the province, including trade promotion, legal consultancy, and investment facilitation.

Linh noted that priorities include developing green transport, training Korean-speaking tour guides, and applying technology to tourism management and marketing. The association also aims to design tour packages tailored to South Korean preferences and expand agricultural and cultural tourism, which are key strengths of Đà Lạt.

Jung Dong-hyeok, a tourism expert and member of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly, remarked that while residents of Gyeonggi once associated Việt Nam primarily with Đà Nẵng, Lâm Đồng is now drawing growing interest. He pledged to promote the province’s tourism and trade potential more widely in the RoK, noting that many organiưations in Gyeonggi are exploring investment and cooperation opportunities in the Central Highlands province.

 

Nguyễn Tiến Hải, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, noted that under a new regional development strategy, the proposed merger of Lâm Đồng, Đắk Nông, and Bình Thuận provinces would create a comprehensive tourism space combining mountains, forests, and sea. The province is prioritising a strategic approach centred on building distinctive inter-regional tour packages, developing a high-quality tourism product ecosystem, and enhancing both international and domestic tourism cooperation, he added.

By 2030, Lâm Đồng aims to welcome between 40 and 45 million tourist arrivals annually, with international visitors accounting for 18–25 per cent of the total.

In 2024, the province received more than 10.3 million visitors, including approximately 600,000 international arrivals. The RoK consistently ranks among Lâm Đồng’s top international tourist markets, underscoring the increasing appeal of Đà Lạt – a romantic, welcoming destination rich in cultural value – to South Korean tourists. – VNA/VNS