Lam Dong Expands Interregional Tourism Partnerships

Strengthening Partnerships, Expanding Markets

Following the provincial merger, Lam Dong now offers a diverse tourism landscape stretching from the Central Highlands and forests to the coastline. In this context, famtrip programs have evolved beyond simple destination inspections into opportunities for tourism businesses to exchange ideas and develop products that better meet market demand.

Whereas earlier famtrips mainly introduced destinations, today's programs emphasize networking with accommodation providers, tour operators, attractions, and government agencies to identify business opportunities. This shift is evident in recent tours, where participants not only experience destinations firsthand but also discuss product development, service quality improvement, and market expansion.

Recently, a Dong Nai famtrip delegation comprising nearly 60 representatives from government agencies, tourism associations, travel companies, accommodation providers, and transport businesses spent three days surveying tourism products in Lam Dong. In addition to visiting attractions, the delegation participated in B2B networking sessions to discuss market trends and the potential development of interregional tour packages.

According to Nguyen Linh Vu, Deputy Director of the Lam Dong Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center, the primary objective of today's famtrip programs is not to organize more familiarization trips but to develop new tourism products after each visit.

Dong Nai shares a border with Lam Dong, making destination promotion and tourism product marketing to the Dong Nai market particularly important. This will become even more significant once Long Thanh International Airport begins operations, serving as a major gateway for international visitors to the region. Regional connectivity will diversify tourism offerings, enhance destination appeal, and encourage visitors to stay longer.

"Famtrips allow tourism businesses to experience services directly, evaluate destinations, and identify potential partners. We hope each survey tour will lead to new tour programs, concrete cooperation agreements, and a gradual expansion of visitor markets for Lam Dong. That is the true long-term value of tourism promotion," Vu emphasized.

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The Lam Dong Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center will continue strengthening partnership and networking programs with key tourism markets, particularly Southeast Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City. At the same time, we will accelerate the application of digital transformation in tourism promotion, destination marketing, and business networking to expand our partner network. When businesses recognize real commercial opportunities, they become the most effective ambassadors for promoting the destination.

Nguyen Linh Vu
Deputy Director, Lam Dong Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center

Promoting Regional Tourism Development

Vu added that the provincial center will continue strengthening partnerships with key tourism markets, particularly Southeast Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City. At the same time, digital transformation will be further applied in tourism promotion, marketing, and business networking to expand opportunities for cooperation.

"When businesses recognize commercial opportunities, they become the most effective ambassadors for promoting the destination," he said.

Following the merger of the three former provinces, Lam Dong now possesses a highly diverse tourism ecosystem. Rather than focusing solely on Da Lat or the coastal areas of former Binh Thuan as in the past, businesses can now design multi-day itineraries combining highland experiences, beach tourism, ecotourism, community-based cultural tourism, and agricultural experiences. This creates a solid foundation for developing integrated regional tourism products instead of promoting destinations individually.

Sharing the same view, Tran Thi Thu Trang, Acting Deputy Director of the Dong Nai City Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center, noted that Lam Dong enjoys advantages in climate, natural scenery, tourism ecosystems, and cultural identity, while Dong Nai serves as the gateway to Southeast Vietnam with increasingly modern transportation infrastructure and abundant tourism resources.

In particular, once Long Thanh International Airport becomes operational, regional connectivity will improve significantly, creating favorable conditions for both localities and tourism businesses to jointly develop highly competitive interregional tourism products.

Extending Visitors' Travel Journeys Through Collaboration

While government agencies play the role of facilitator, businesses are the key factor determining the success of new tourism products.

Tran Van Tuan, owner of Malibu Resort in Mui Ne, regularly welcomes tour groups from Southeast Vietnam and has observed a noticeable shift in visitor preferences in recent years.

According to Tuan, tourists are no longer satisfied with vacations centered on a single destination. Instead, they seek a wider variety of experiences within one journey. After spending several days relaxing by the sea, many groups wish to continue exploring the Central Highlands, experiencing local culture, or visiting agricultural tourism sites.

Lam Dong currently enjoys strong potential for developing interregional tourism routes such as Da Lat – Ta Dung – Mui Ne and Da Lat – Ke Ga, together with agricultural, ecological, and cultural tourism experiences. However, maximizing these opportunities requires stronger collaboration among tour operators, tourism service providers, attractions, transport companies, and local authorities to improve overall service quality.

For travel companies, the greatest value of a famtrip lies not only in experiencing destinations but also in establishing partnerships, ensuring service quality, and building long-term cooperation. As a result, B2B networking activities have become an increasingly important component of tourism familiarization programs.

As competition among destinations intensifies, abundant tourism resources alone are no longer enough to attract visitors. The key is transforming existing advantages into market-ready tourism products that meet the needs of both businesses and travelers. Consequently, famtrip programs are placing greater emphasis on fostering cooperation between government agencies and tourism enterprises rather than focusing solely on destination promotion.

Through these survey tours, tourism businesses gain valuable insights for developing interregional tourism products tailored to market demand. With its unique combination of highlands, forests, coastline, and rich cultural diversity, Lam Dong is well positioned to expand its visitor markets, strengthen its competitiveness, and establish itself as a premier multi-experience tourism destination.