The Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD), the Department of Nature Conservation (DoNC) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit or German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) held a workshop on responsible tourism in protected areas on July 25, 2012 in Hanoi. This was the chance for exchanging and sharing experience in responsible tourism in protected natural areas and stepping up these activities in Vietnam.

 

The workshop was a follow-up activity of a survey conducted by GIZ in collaboration with VBCSD to study challenges, opportunities, needs and readiness of businesses and stakeholders in tourism business investment in protected areas.

 

Blessed with a very high biodiversity in the world, Vietnam has more than 13,200 plant species, more than 10,000 animal species, and more than 3,000 aquatic species (particularly in terrestrial ecosystem). Special-use forests, especially national parks recognised as world natural heritages like Phong Nha Ke Bang, Cat Tien, Cat Ba, Ba Be, Hoang Lien and Chu Mom Ray, are fascinating tourist destinations. Therefore, responsible tourism businesss in protected areas have special importance as it ensures a balance between exploitation and conservation and contributes to economic growth, poverty reduction and sustainable development.

 

The main principle of ecotourism development is tourism business does not leave effect on natural development of ecosystems, natural life of animal and plant species, natural landscapes as well as cultural identities of local communities. Profits from eco-tourism services are reinvested in biodiversity conservation in national parks and nature conservation areas.

 

In addition, local resident communities take part in and enjoy benefits from tourism business, enjoy higher incomes and enhance awareness and responsibility for nature and biodiversity conservation. To be so, it is now urgent to study responsible tourism supports in protected areas.

 

Truong Phan Viet Thang, Coordinator of VBCSD Secretariat, cited tourism companies, saying that while most traditional tourist destinations have become overloaded, tourism in protected areas is a promising business. However, to tap this business in a sustainable way is a grave challenge for businesses as well as local authorities and policy makers.

 

 

Mr Ngo Tien Dung, Deputy Director of the Department of Nature Conservation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: Tourism business in national parks and conservation zones is spontaneous. Operators lack target products, markets and customers and lack investment for ecological development. In addition, many national parks are suffering worsening damages like environmental pollution and landscape distortion because of hot tourism development while falling short of supervision and planning. Recently, the ministry issued a series of documents concerning tourism business in protected areas in a bid to improve the situation. The ecological tourism and responsible tourism models will be expanded.