Da Lat to focus on quality tourism, agriculture

Developing quality tourism and hi-tech agriculture is one of the top priority tasks in Da Lat city’s economic development plan for the 2015-2020 period, as determined at the city’s freshly-ended Party Congress.
City authorities considered the two sectors as major factors to accelerate the city’s economic restructuring, turning it into a national centre of eco-tourism and hi-tech agriculture production.
The city said it would prioritise the development of advantageous tourism products and high-calibre accommodations and maintain its brand as a “City of flower festivals”.
Besides upgrading Xuan Huong Lake and Hoa Binh Square in the heart of the city, tours connecting the city with neighbouring areas such as the Bi Doup and Cat Tien national park or the Dambri tourist area in Bao Loc city are being organised.
The city also plans to develop diverse agriculture combined with a modern processing industry to turn the city into a centre of producing clean and organic vegetables and fruits.
Three flower villages - Thai Phien, Ha Dong and Van Thanh - will be developed into the city’s attractive tourist destinations.
The city’s total land area for agriculture is currently 10,500 hectares, 4,720 of which are dedicated to hi-tech farming.
From 2011-2015, the city welcomed some 17 million tourists, representing an average growth of 10 percent per year. The city’s tourism sector set a growth goal of between 8-10 percent per year during the 2016-2020 period.
By 2020, the city expects to increase agriculture production value to 4.35 trillion VND (200 million USD), equal to 300 million VND (13,740 USD) per hectare.