Tourists in Kon Plông District’s Măng Đen Town (Kon Tum Province) at the start of the year. A town tourism association has been set up to foster travel to the locality. - VNA Photo Khoa Chương

KON TUM – The Măng Đen Town Tourism Association has been established in Kon Tum Province to link up local tourism businesses and help the industry grow.

Kon Plông District and its Măng Đen Town are key travel destinations in the province, attracting 80 per cent of all tourists coming to the province.

The town is popular for its mild weather, ethnic cultures and natural scenery.

The association is a non-profit social and vocational training organisation with 45 members and the province’s first tourism association.

In the first five years it targets developing Kon Plông District tourism into a professional and competitive service industry.

Bùi Viết Hà, its chairman, said the town hopes to attract around two million visitors a year until 2025.

“Training tourism workers, preserving the region’s old forest eco-system and limiting the construction of high-rise hotels are important for Măng Đen’s tourism to develop sustainably and keep its unique cultural identity.”

Đặng Quang Hà, chairman of the district People’s Committee, said the region has over 60 accommodation facilities that could serve 3,500 guests a day.

Tourism plays a big role in the district’s economic growth and providing jobs and higher incomes to locals, he said.

“The establishment of the Măng Đen Town Tourism Association is crucial for local businesses to operate with clear standards and goals.

“This will gradually help tourism become the district’s key industry, and turn Măng Đen Town into Kon Tum Province’s tourism centre.”

This year Kon Plông District has attracted around 600,000 visitors, accounting for nearly half of the entire province’s full-year target. — VNS