Kon Plong, key Central Highlands tourist attraction

Apart from Mang Den, Kon Plong has a number of historical heritage sites such as Mang But, Buddhism pagodas, churches and traditional festivals of local people such as new rice festival, stabbing buffalo festival, gong festival and rong house festival. Thus, Kon Plong has great advantages to develop tourism. Especially, the Mang Den eco tourist site is considered as a highlight in the "Green path of Tay Nguyen" tourist route connecting with the "Heritage path in the central region" and the "Ho Chi Minh legendary trail" to become a route throughout the country. From Mang Den, the "Green path of Tay Nguyen" goes across the Bo Y Border Crossing to form the "Indochina heritage path" which links Vietnamese heritage sites with those in Laos and Cambodia.

Apart from beautiful natural landscapes which create favorable conditions for ecotourism, going through Mang Den is highway 24, the shortest road connecting the central region with the sea. Especially, Mang Den has created an attractive tour starting from the east-west economic corridor Da Nang- Quang Nam - Quang Ngai - Mang Den - Bo Y Border Crossing, southern Laos - Ubon (Thailand) - Myanmar and vice versa.

The Kon Plong District People's Committee chairman Y Lang said that in 2011, the district welcomed 16,000 tourists, 350 of them came from foreign countries, an increase of 7.3 percent from 2010. Tourism has promoted retail sales in the district. In 2011, retail sales totaled VND25.35 billion, an increase of 31.74 percent from 2010 with miscellaneous goods, catering services and accommodations services being major products.

This year, the district is striving for the trade and service sector to increase 12-13 percent. To realize this target, Kon Plong will continue to appeal for investment in the Mang Den eco tourist site. The district will give priority to large scale projects and the projects that can create breakthroughs to tourism development. Kon Plong will prioritize planned tourist sites and connect them with those in other provinces to promote tourism cooperation. In addition, tourism development will be combined with clean food processing such as temperate vegetables and fruits, sturgeon and salmon. Traditional brocade weaving village will be focused on. In addition, telecommunications, credit, insurance and consultancy services will be promoted. All resources will be mobilized to build Mang Den eco tourist site infrastructure and the Kon Plong administrative center. Important construction works such as highway 24 and Truong Son Dong road will be speeded up. The district is appealing for investment in an airport and taxies. Cultural villages of local ethnic minorities will be improved to promote community tourism.

To become important part in the "Green path of Tay Nguyen" and transform Mang Den into an national eco tourist site, Kon Plong will strive to create outstanding different tourism products and cooperate other provinces in the Central Highlands, central coastal areas, Laos, Cambodia and northeastern Thailand through the Bo Y Border Crossing.