Dong Nai tourism goes international

With its natural advantages of forests, mountains, lakes, and rural agriculture, Dong Nai province has become a destination for both domestic and international tourists.

Tourists experience Gia Canh forest. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Many unique tourism products of Dong Nai have left an impression on domestic and international tourists, such as: Gia Canh forest exploration tourism product by Meerkat Company, mountain and forest exploration product by Tri An Adventure Company, Son Tien tourist destination, unique biodiversity values at Cat Tien National Park (NP), Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve (NCR)...

Nature destination conquers international awards

In recent years, Dong Nai’s tourism sector has consistently achieved impressive results, including prestigious international awards.

Most recently, in early September 2025, at the 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Environment, held in Malaysia, Dong Nai NCR was one of three national parks in Vietnam recognized as an ASEAN Heritage Park.

Dinh Thi Lan Huong, Deputy Director of Dong Nai NCR, said: stated that to be recognized as an ASEAN Heritage Park, the reserve must meet all 12 criteria, including ecological integrity, representativeness, naturalness, high conservation importance, legal assurance for the nominated area, an approved management plan, and transboundary characteristics, among others.

With the ASEAN Heritage Park title, Dong Nai NCR in particular, and Dong Nai’s tourism sector more broadly, will have significant opportunities to exchange information, learn from conservation and management practices, and promote values among ASEAN Heritage Parks across the region. In addition, it is also a valuable opportunity to promote the image of Dong Nai province to a wide range of organizations and individuals within ASEAN and globally.

In 2025, Dong Nai aims to welcome 4.2 million tourist visits for sightseeing and leisure, including over 4 million domestic visitors and around 130,000 international arrivals. The province is also targeting tourism service revenue of 3.4 trillion VND, a 41.6% increase compared to 2024.

Previously, in 2024, Cat Tien NP, Nam Cat Tien commune, Dong Nai, was officially recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as the 72nd protected area in the world to achieve the IUCN Green List status.

According to Pham Xuan Thinh, Director of Cat Tien NP, Cat Tien is the first NP in Vietnam to be included on the IUCN Green List, a global recognition of its efforts in conserving and restoring forest ecosystems and biodiversity.

The IUCN Green List serves as a global standard for protected and conserved areas, providing a benchmark for success in biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Beyond its role in biodiversity preservation and maintaining green criteria, Cat Tien NP is also a destination for green and ecotourism, contributing to the park’s sustainable development strategy.

Moving towards community values

In addition to tourism products based on natural forests and mountains, several experiences created by local communities also carry their own unique character, reflecting the distinctive identity of each offering.

In Dong Nai, from 2024 to the present, many destinations have emerged as community-based tourism initiatives, two of which have received major international awards. The Panorama Glamping site in La Nga commune was honored with the Glamping Destination award at the 2024 World Luxury Travel Awards, one of the world’s most prestigious tourism recognitions. Meanwhile, the Ta Lai Eco Lodge, located in the Ta Lai Community Tourism Village in Ta Lai commune, was named the winner of the Southeast Asia Responsible Tourism Award 2025 by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism in Southeast Asia (ICRT-SEA).

Tourists explore the forest at Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Ka Tuyen, a young woman of the Ma ethnic group and founder of the Ta Lai Eco Lodge tourism initiative, shared that Ta Lai Eco Lodge is an ecotourism model that embodies the natural and cultural values of the Ma community in Ta Lai commune.

Through environmental protection efforts, immersive cultural experiences, and tourism products built on sustainable principles, the lodge not only helps improve local livelihoods but also contributes to the preservation of indigenous culture and environmental conservation.

Visitors to Ta Lai Eco Lodge can enjoy in-depth and authentic experiences of the customs, traditions, culture, and cuisine of the Ma and S’tieng ethnic groups. These include staying in traditional Ma stilt houses; practicing local crafts such as brocade weaving, bamboo basketry, and making eco-friendly bags from pandan leaves; and joining guided jungle treks led by locals with deep knowledge of the forest, who share indigenous insights about the land and native plants.

Along with domestic tourism products participating in the international "award hunt" race, Dong Nai province also organizes and participates in many events related to trade services, tourism, and environmental protection at domestic and international forums, such as: organizing Elephant Conservation Week in 2025, launching the Competition to Learn about Biodiversity Conservation, participating in the 5th UNESCO World Conference on Biosphere Reserves in Zhejiang province, China. These activities contribute to enhancing Dong Nai's position in environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and forest ecosystem development. These are also the foundations for Dong Nai to promote its nature, culture, and people in tourism tours and routes to domestic and international tourist markets.

   By Ngoc Lien-Translated by Mai Nga, Minho