The ongoing merger of Phu Yen and Dak Lak has drawn significant public attention - not only from an administrative perspective but also for its potential to drive multi-sector socio-economic development, particularly in the Tourism sector. Notably, the development of a "Blue Sea - Great Forest" inter-regional tourism product  is expected to become a highlight, contributing to the creation of a unique East - West tourism route that harmoniously connects nature, culture, and climate between the coastal region and the Central Highlands.

The performance by the Dak Lak Tourism Association captivating the audience at the Phu Yen Tourism Fair held in April 2025

Phu Yen is a coastal province in the South Central region of Vietnam, boasting a 189-kilometer-long coastline with numerous scenic bays, capes, islands, and beaches such as Da Dia Reef, Xep Beach, Xuan Dai Bay, Vung Ro, and Bai Mon – Mui Diện, known as the earliest sunrise spot on the mainland of Vietnam. In contrast, Dak Lak is renowned for the Central Highlands gong cultural space, pristine forests, and majestic waterfalls such as Dray Nur, Yok Don, and Lak Lake - sites deeply intertwined with the epics and legends of the Ê Đê and M’Nông ethnic groups, etc.

Dak Lak - the province with the largest natural area in the Central Highlands, has a large population and a rapidly growing demand for beach tourism. With a distance of only about 200 kilometers from the center of Buon Ma Thuot City to Tuy Hoa via National Road 29 -equivalent to approximately a 4-hour drive. This is the shortest route for Dak Lak residents to access the sea.

According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, during the recent April 30 and May 1 holidays, Phu Yen Province welcomed approximately 85,000 visitors for sightseeing and leisure, a 55% increase compared to the same period last year. The total number of overnight stays was estimated at 52,700, up 42% year-on-year. Notably, tourists from the Central Highlands provinces made up the majority. Coastal hotels such as Sala Grand Tuy Hoa, Rosa Alba Resort, Stelia Beach Resort, Sao Mai Beach Resort, and Mandala Hotel & Spa Phu Yen—as well as seaside hotels and homestays - operated at full capacity during peak holiday days. Popular beach destinations like Long Thuy, Bai Xep, Tuy Hoa Beach, Bai Mon – Mui Dien, and Vung Ro were crowded with visitors, many of whom arrived in vehicles bearing license plates from Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Kon Tum, etc.

"My family lives in Buon Ma Thuot, and every summer or holiday we travel to Tuy Hoa because the beaches here are beautiful, the costs are reasonable, and the food is delicious. Now, with the upcoming merger, it feels even more familiar and connected", said Mr. Tran Van Nhan, a tourist from Dak Lak. This is also a growing trend among many residents of the coffee land, who are increasingly choosing Phu Yen as a friendly, accessible, and convenient beach destination.

Based on the Master Plan for Tourism Development in the Central Highlands and the Master Plan for Tourism Development in the South Central Coastal Region to 2020, with a vision toward 2030, approved by the Prime Minister, in 2022, the PPC leaders of 6 provinces (Binh Dinh, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Quang Ngai, Kon Tum, and Phu Yen) signed a cooperation agreement on tourism development for the period 2022–2027. The objective is to maximize each locality's tourism resources, efficiently leverage available capacities, and create momentum for tourism development, thereby promoting socio-eco growth, generating employment, and improving the living standards of local communities. At the same time, the cooperation aims to develop joint tourism tours that reflect the unique characteristics of each province, establish a shared tourism brand, and strengthen promotion efforts to introduce the land and people of each locality to both domestic and international visitors, thereby expanding and diversifying the market.

In the current context, this connection has undergone a significant transformation as the 2 localities have come under one administration, it is natural to capitalize on coastal and forest advantages to develop distinctive tourism products.

Mr. Dang Hong Linh, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated: “In recent years, the tourism sectors of Phu Yen, Dak Lak, and other provinces in the South Central Coast and Central Highlands regions have worked together to promote the unique strengths of each locality. For example, at international tourism fairs held in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the provinces within the regional linkage group have jointly set up shared booths to showcase their collaborative tourism brand: "Where the Ocean Meets the Great Forest".

The tourism cooperation between Phu Yen and Dak Lak is opening up significant opportunities, enabling the effective exploitation of the 2 provinces’ tourism resources. Continued investment, diversification of tourism products, and infrastructure improvement will pave the way for a distinctive "coastal–forest tourism axis" in the Central - Central Highlands region. Formalizing this partnership not only enhances destination competitiveness but also affirms the inter-regional area's central role in sustainable tourism development positioning it as an appealing tourism brand and elevating it to a new level on Vietnam’s tourism map.