Promoting ecotourism in Pleiku the mountainous city

Unique ideas

Multiple gardens and business facilities in Pleiku city (Gia Lai province) have promoted this safe and sustainable tourism product, citing its benefits. Using Nguyen Pham Huyen Tram as an example, despite having a stable position in Ho Chi Minh City, Tram chose to return to her hometown (Op Village, Hoa Lu ward, Pleiku city, Gia Lai) and started up a business there. The 1,000-square-meter garden was renovated in order to construct the Dalas Café & Garden. The café space has a Korean-style design with multiple amazing vistas and crannies for selfies, including a stone wall, a variety of flowers, and particularly hydrangeas. The location has become a common gathering spot for travelers, particularly the young, who seek closer contact with nature.

Ca phe Tre Nga, located at 109 Nguyen Thiep in the city of Pleiku, is another cafeteria with a magnificent lotus lake, making it an ideal location for nature lovers. Visitors can find an ideal spot to enjoy drinks and view the lotus lake as it blooms. The owner of Ca phe Tre Nga, Thuan Thang, explained that he created the soil and water resources to plant lotus in a marshy area before developing the idea to establish a coffee store. He traveled to Binh Dinh in order to purchase lotus for experimental cultivation. One year later, the lotus in full blossom was beautiful and fragrant. "To make it easier for visitors to appreciate the scenery and take photographs, I added more miniature bridges, wooden vessels, and benches to the lakeside. When flowers are in bloom, the establishment receives between 400 and 500 visitors per week to photograph check-in photos, according to Thang.

Sustainable agriculture and experience tourism

The majority of Pleiku's 20 agricultural and rural tourism destinations are based on the community tourism and ecotourism experience model. Accommodation tourism flourished as a result of capitalizing on these characteristics and consumer demands.

La Kenh Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative has implemented the Zin's Farm agricultural tourism model in Nhao 1 (la Kenh commune), just 8 kilometers from Pleiku city. According to the city's agricultural trend, this is regarded as an encouraging model for tourism development. Pham Van Ha, the cooperative's deputy director, stated, "On an area of 5 ha, we allocate a number of areas to cultivate various crops, such as vegetables and fruiters, with special attention paid to a nearby area for visitors to sit and drink water while admiring the Ham Rong mountain, wind power fields, protective forest, and a valley of wet rice cultivation. Even though we have only been open for a little over a month, we have already welcomed thousands of visitors".

Additionally, the cooperative also invests in the development of an agricultural model that combines tourism and education. From the expansion of agricultural tourism, the cooperative gains more opportunities to promote its products and brand, thereby increasing the number of local jobs. The cooperative has 20 employees from Jrai who are paid VND 6 million per month to work at Zin's Farm. Mr. Ha stated that the cooperative will continue to invest in the expansion of high-tech agricultural facilities and the development of a wide range of agricultural products to attract visitors.

Homestay SoRa (206/8 Phu Dong, Hoa Lu Ward) is located in the center of Pleiku City, is affordable, and attracts many travelers for rest and relaxation. Ms. Tran Thi Sen, the proprietor of SoRa Homestay, stated that on an area of 3,600 square meters, the family constructed six rooms in 2019 to operate this model. After six months of operation, the number of tourists seeking accommodations is extremely high, and there are no available rooms during holidays and Tet. In 2021, the family resolved to invest in the construction of eleven additional lodging rooms. "The current tendency is for guests to want to be near nature, plants, and flowers, so we design each house individually to create a private space for guests to feel at home. In addition, we cultivate many trees and create numerous replicas to help guests immerse themselves in nature and appreciate the fresh air, Ms. Sen explained.

And the family vineyard of Mr. Tran Van Hai (46 Han Thuyen, Pleiku city) is incredibly impressive with each row of fruit-bearing grapes until harvest time. Mr. Hai told us, he worked in agriculture and also had a few side jobs. Through travel, watching television, and social media, he learned that the Ha Den grape variety was successfully cultivated in Bac Giang, so he brought the variety to plant on a two-pole plot.

Mr. Hai explained that he chose the direction of tourism development at the garden for visitors to visit, experience, and purchase grapes, "When the grapes have fruit and are ripe, I post on social networks to sell. However, many people do not believe that Pleiku can cultivate crispy, delicious, dark-black, seedless grapes, so they wish to visit in order to verify this. From there, I opened my vineyard's doors to visitors. In just one week, consumers purchased over 200 kg of grapes at a price of VND 220,000 per kg. Then, individuals informed one another, shared with one another, and increased their visits to the vineyard. I am available on weekends for free visits and photography".

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ha, head of the City, Pleiku's Department of Culture and Information, stated that the green tourism model is increasingly attracting tourists, making Pleiku a more alluring destination, and enhancing tourism products. Most business establishments use culture, terrain, and climate to create their own distinctive space, which is attractive and retains visitors.