Creating opportunities for Dong Nai tourism to take off

The year 2025 closed with many notable achievements across various sectors, among which, tourism is one of the key contributors to the overall success of Dong Nai’s economy, generating more than VND 3.9 trillion in revenue and surpassing 100% of the annual target.

This outcome reflects the close attention and support from Provincial leadership at all levels, the concerted efforts of functional agencies, and particularly the tourism sector as a whole, through regional development linkages, proactive development of new tourism products, as well as active participation in trade promotion, connectivity, destination marketing, and tourism stimulus programs nationwide.

It can be said that 2025 is a year marked by a host of prestigious awards and international recognitions for Dong Nai’s tourism sector. Notably, the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve was recognized as an ASEAN Heritage Park at the 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME-18), held in Malaysia in early September 2025. Meanwhile, Cat Tien National Park was honored by the Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN) with four international ecotourism awards at the AEN International Ecotourism Awards 2025 (AEN-IEA 2025). These awards and certifications are of significant importance, reaffirming Dong Nai’s commitment to a green and sustainable development trajectory, particularly in the service and tourism sectors.

 

Demonstrating this green development strategy, numerous eco-tourism destinations operated by enterprises and households have continued to thrive. Several destinations received major international accolades, including Panorama Glamping and Tropical Eglamping in La Nga commune, honored at the World Luxury Travel Awards 2025; Ta Lai Eco Lodge at the Ta Lai community-based tourism village, winner of the 2025 Southeast Asia Responsible Tourism Award; and Cat Tien Jungle Lodge Resort in Nam Cat Tien commune, named among the World’s 10 Best Boutique Hotels 2025.

 

Sharing insights into the efforts behind meeting international award standards, Duong Thi Ngoc Phuong, Director of Wild World Co., Ltd., the owner of Cat Tien Jungle Lodge, stated that to win the award, Cat Tien Jungle Lodge has consistently operated in line with the principles of nature conservation and sustainable tourism development, while ensuring optimal conditions to meet the leisure needs of both domestic and international visitors. These include nature- and environment-friendly design; employing 90% of local labor, regularly training staff in 5S practices, applying smart technologies in management and operations, and actively contributing to community development. It also supports startup training for students and small and medium-sized enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, and Dong Nai, while maintaining a strong track record of recognition by local authorities and tourism organizations, along with high consumer trust.

 

In 2025, total tourist arrivals to Dong Nai are estimated at over 5.2 million, meeting and exceeding the annual target. This includes more than 139,000 international visitors and over 5 million domestic tourists, with total tourism revenue surpassing VND 3.9 trillion.

 

Alongside the achievements of local eco-friendly destinations, Dong Nai’s provincial leadership has actively promoted progress on several large-scale tourism projects. These include projects in the Chua Chan mountain area (Xuan Loc commune), the eco-tourism scheme of the Tan Phu protection forest management board (Thac Mai – Bau Nuoc Soi area), and the Tri An Lake area, all of which have seen accelerated reviews and efforts to attract potential investors.

 

According to Dr. Duong Duc Minh, Deputy Director of the Institute for Economic and Tourism Development Research (Ho Chi Minh City), to fully unlock Dong Nai’s tourism potential, the province needs a comprehensive strategy that repositions and restructures the entire tourism sector. This approach should establish a clear roadmap to systematically mobilize resources, enhance attractiveness, and develop services aligned with both everyday and high-end needs of visitors.

 

Under the Dong Nai Provincial Master Plan for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, tourism is identified as one of the province’s five key pillars of socio-economic development, with a strategic orientation toward high-quality tourism.

 

Currently, Dong Nai is home to 28 tourism zones and tourism sites offering a wide range of tourism products, including sightseeing, entertainment, eco-tourism, sports, spiritual, and cultural tourism. Many destinations are well known for their scale, modern infrastructure, and distinctive natural settings, attracting both domestic and international visitors. To meet visitors’ demand, the province has 224 accommodation facilities with more than 5,800 rooms, along with 45 domestic travel companies and 10 international tour operators.

 

Sharing insights on the sector’s objectives and recent achievements, Le Thi Ngoc Loan, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Dong Nai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, emphasized that immediately after the merger of the former Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc provinces, the department launched a tourism stimulus program under messages such as “Dong Nai – a safe destination,” “Dong Nai – nature’s invitation,” and “Dong Nai – come and feel.” Loan stressed that, beyond developing tourism product packages, the province is placing strong emphasis on improving service quality and professionalism in order to attract visitors and encourage their longer stays in the coming period.