Dak Lak is actively preparing for the 2019 Coffee Festival - the largest tourism event of the year with many notable activities such as the elephant race, the dugout canoes race, the competition on Central Highlands Cuisine.

Mr. Thai Hong Ha, Director of Dak Lak Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism shared remarkable information before the Festival, which will take place on March 9.

Make the Coffee Festival be a “Specialty” event

- What is the special highlight for the 7^th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival in Dak Lak, Sir?

  - Dak Lak is named as the "Coffee Capital of Vietnam" with the largest coffee growing area and production in the country. With the consent of the Prime Minister, Dak Lak province will organize the 7^th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival in 2019 under the theme "The Quintessence of Jungle" from March 9 – 16, 2019.

Mr. Thai Hong Ha said, Dak Lak is trying to turn Buon Ma Thuot into the destination of world coffee. Photo: Hoang Anh.

In March of the Central Highlands, tourists come to Dak Lak will have opportunity to enjoy the typical festival space spreading over many areas of the province. The festival has 6 main activity groups including the opening ceremony; Dak Lak investment promotion conference, 2019; exhibitions and seminars; promotion and honor activities; travel itinerary and closing ceremony.

The Festival, under the theme "The Quintessence of Jungle", continues to promote the Buon Ma Thuot coffee brand, affirm the position of Dak Lak coffee in particular and the important position of Vietnam's coffee industry in general in the international market.

The focus of the Festival 2019 shall be promoting Vietnamese specialty coffee, thus turning Buon Ma Thuot into the destination of world coffee. Compared to the previous festivals, this Festival program has more unique activities such as the first Vietnam specialty coffee contest attracting many coffee producers and processors to participate. The international tasting experts from the US, Mexico, Japan, Indonesia, etc. will be the examiners of this competition.

Besides, opening the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee - Book Street on March 9; opening and exhibiting thousands of unique artifacts related to the world coffee history at the World Coffee Museum are also highlights in the program.

Miss Universe Vietnam 2017, Top 5 Miss Universe 2018 H'Hen Nie will be the communication ambassador of Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival 2019, promising to bring visitors and people the deep feelings about the coffee quintessence, cultural identity, and hospitality of the Central Highlands as well as to turn this place into a destination for coffee aficionados worldwide.

Actively preserve and promote cultural values

- What are the advantages of Dak Lak province  to invite investors to invest in the provincial tourism?

- According to the Government's regulations, investment projects in the province, depending on the localities and fields, the investment sector will be entitled to land rent incentives (exempting land rent from 7 years to all the time of project implementation); corporate income tax (exemption  for at least 2 years, 50% reduction for the next 4 years from the time of taxable income); import tax exemption for machinery and equipment to create fixed assets for investment projects.

In addition, the Provincial People's Committee also issued soft policies in Decision No.32/2016/QD-UBND dated October 7, 2016 on the order and mechanism of coordination in fulfilling investment project procedures related to land use in Dak Lak province, creating favorable conditions and saving time and costs for investors in implementing their projects.

Dak Lak with its cool climate and majestic beauty of natural scenery is considered a golden area for  tourism with attractive policies from the province. I believe that this place will be exploited effectively and sustainably.

- The Central Highlands cultural identity is one of the core values that make Dak Lak tourism characteristic. What is the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism planning to preserve and promote cultural values for tourism development?

  - The province continues to maintain gong cultural performances to serve local people and tourists twice a month. The preservation and promotion of cultural heritage associated with tourism development is one of the fundamental solutions to develop the local economy.

Ecotourism with elephants in Lak Lake. Photo: Hoang Anh.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has set up and implemented many specific tasks and solutions.

Firstly, we has planned the restoration and renovation of some history sites, particular national monuments, especially Buon Ma Thuot exile house to preserve and promote the value of this sites associated with tourism and serving the people and tourists; and development of Dak Lak Museum as a highlight of the province's culture and tourism.

Secondly, we have coordinated with agencies, units and localities to survey and select some typical traditional villages and hamlets to invest in exploiting and developing cultural tourism.

Thirdly, in the tourism development plan of Dak Lak province for the period of 2016-2020, the Department has developed an action program to support and organize the performance of traditional folk art forms in tourism businesses, the province's key communities, zones and tourist sites.

Fourthly, we continue to research, select and legalize some typical festivals and annual organizations to promote and create a brand for Dak Lak tourism such as elephant race, traditional boat race, the dugout canoes race; Viet Bac folk festivals and other festivals, forming a typical tourist product of the province. In particular, we will bring the cultural heritage of Central Highlands gong into tourism products to serve tourists to Dak Lak.

Source: Zing.vn