Held at Đại Đoàn Kết Square in Pleiku Ward, the festival featured a vibrant lineup of traditional performances, folk arts, and community activities representing the diverse ethnic groups living in Gia Lai Province.
Festivalgoers were introduced to cultural practices such as gong performances, wood carving, brocade weaving, rice pounding, bamboo pole dancing, Xoe dance, and Muong village dances. The event also reflected the cultural diversity created by northern ethnic communities that migrated to the Central Highlands decades ago.
Visitors were encouraged to actively participate in the festivities, joining Xoang dance circles and experiencing traditional cuisine prepared by artisan groups. The interactive activities received strong praise from both Vietnamese and international tourists, particularly as the festival coincided with the peak holiday travel season and benefited from publicity surrounding National Tourism Year - Gia Lai 2026.
However, despite the festival’s lively atmosphere and strong attendance, some visitors found it difficult to distinguish the unique identities of the Bahnar, Jrai, Chăm H’roi, H’re, Tày, Nùng, Dao, and other ethnic communities represented at the event.
As a result, many attendees experienced the festival primarily as an entertaining visual spectacle rather than an opportunity for deeper cultural understanding. The challenge reflects a broader question facing cultural tourism events: how to help visitors move beyond surface-level experiences toward meaningful engagement.
One proposed solution is the wider use of QR codes at performance and exhibition areas. Similar systems already used in destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, and Tây Ninh allow tourists to quickly access detailed information through their mobile devices.
Applied to the Gia Lai festival, QR codes could help visitors identify and better understand the cultural characteristics of each ethnic group, including traditional costumes, music, cuisine, and customs. Organizers could also introduce concise bilingual Vietnamese-English information boards to explain the significance of cultural performances and activities.
Language accessibility also emerged as an issue during the event. Although many international visitors attended enthusiastically, most explored the festival independently with limited interaction or support, likely due to language barriers.
Organizers are therefore being encouraged to deploy trained multilingual volunteers at future festivals to help visitors gain deeper insight into local traditions and improve the overall tourism experience.
For decades, the Central Highlands has been viewed as a region rich in mystery and cultural heritage. The addition of northern ethnic communities has further strengthened Gia Lai’s cultural diversity, creating a distinctive identity rarely found elsewhere in Vietnam.
As cultural tourism continues to expand, strengthening communication efforts and adding greater cultural depth to festivals may prove essential in encouraging visitors to return and explore the region more fully.