Background
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (PNKB NP) lies about 200 kilometres north of Hue in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Binh. In an area of approximately 119,000 hectares it boasts a karst and cave system that is globally unique, as well as highly diverse flora and fauna. In 2003, thanks to its special geology and geomorphology, the park was recognised as a natural World Heritage site by UNESCO.
The emergence of Quang Binh Province as a tourist destination is largely due to UNESCO’s listing of the park. Visitor numbers have risen recently, from 80,000 in 1999 to more than 400,000 in 2012. This means tourism has a growing significance for the local economy.
Tourist activities are currently concentrated on just a few main attractions and in a few periods, primarily the peak season in the summer. The development and touristic integration of the park’s buffer zone has so far been limited, due to infrastructural constraints, a lack of resources, and the length of the process for gaining access permissions. The region of the National Park is still in its early stages of development. It is particularly important that activities are designed sustainably, in order to protect the natural environment, the cultural heritage of the local people, and the World Heritage status itself.
Objective
In Phong Nh-Ke Bang National Park, tourist activities support local people’s livelihoods. This does not place any additional strain on the park or its sustainable management.
Approach
Since October 2007, GIZ has been working on behalf of the German Government and in cooperation with KfW Entwicklungsbank and the Provincial People’s Committee of Quang Binh, to support efforts to protect the PNKB National Park
Alongside the management of the park and the appropriate development of the buffer zone, one of the project’s core components is the sustainable development of tourism. To achieve the objective of securing local livelihoods through tourist activities without placing additional strain on the park, GIZ is involved in several activities.
Promotion and implementation of the Sustainable Tourism Development Plan (2010-2020) – STDP
In November 2010, the Sustainable Tourism Development Plan (with its vision until 2025) was prepared in a participatory process and approved by the People’s Committee of Quang Binh Province. The plan is a handbook for the development of tourism in the region of the national park. Besides providing guidelines on managing and developing tourism, it also serves as a detailed implementation plan. It is now the major practical planning tool for the authorities at all levels, and for potential tourism developers and investors.
Initial results include the creation of an eco-trail and the training of park guides to meet international standards for World Heritage sites. These measures were assisted or managed by GIZ. Further approaches have been developed which support the local population with income generating activities, improve the quality of service providers in the field of tourism, and encourage institutions to take on responsibility for the development of sustainable tourism. Furthermore, GIZ has given its support and guidance to the establishment of a cave management plan for the much-frequented Phong Nha and Tien Son Caves. This should point the way to future infrastructural developments that will reduce the damage tourists can do to the caves.
Strengthening institutions
Institutional resources, knowledge management and communication are prerequisites for the successful management of sustainable tourism in the national park region. Strengthening institutions is therefore a priority aspect of GIZ’s support.
Sustainable financing schemes
The rapid growth of tourism, the continued pressure of the illegal wildlife trade and logging on the national park, and the high level of poverty combined with unsustainable livelihoods in the buffer zone, all underscore the need for sustainable financing mechanisms which would secure the preservation of the natural resources for the long term.
Two models are currently being evaluated:
- Payment for ecosystem services (in tourism)
‘Payment for Ecosystem Services’ (PES) is a payment mechanism for environmental protection and benefit sharing. Those who benefit from natural resources make payments which flow to the local communities, which in turn are responsible for securing those natural resources. - Concession agreements
Concessions ensure that previously established standards for certain services and activities are observed. Based on legal regulations, GIZ is encouraging the effective implementation of concession agreements between the management authority of the national park and businesses that offer commercial tourist activities in the park, in the surrounding protected areas, or in the community (through community-based tourism).
Product development and local livelihoods
Many of the tourist activities in the PNKB National Park region focus on a handful of attractions in a relatively small area. GIZ is attempting to increase income opportunities for the local people and broaden the distribution of benefits, while improving the conservation of the natural resources. To this end it is working to enhance existing traditional products and to develop new products, both inside and around the national park.
A number of activities are planned or have already been introduced:
- Improving the quality of tourism products, including the development of a support concept for visitor management and the promotion of quality standards among local tourism businesses.
