Green tourism Nghe An and the beginning
(Baonghean.vn) - Developing green tourism is both an opportunity and a challenge, an important goal in sustainable tourism development, contributing to local economic development. In Nghe An, green tourism is in its early stages.
ENHANCE, BUILD VALUE
On National Highway 7, Tam Dinh Commune, Tuong Duong District, there is a unique population of cassia trees, known as the most beautiful forest in Indochina, that anyone passing by must stop to admire. The cassia trees here have trunks up to 40m high, white in color, arranged by nature on an area of 241 hectares, forming a green space, incredibly beautiful. The cassia forest has become a source of pride, a symbol, and a notable tourist destination in the Western region of Nghe An.
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| Tam Dinh cajuput forest is an attractive destination for tourists. Photo: Document |
Currently, Tam Dinh cajuput forest has become an important tourist attraction, a premise for developing green tourism for Tuong Duong district in particular and Nghe An province in general. Mr. Lo Thanh Nhat - Vice Chairman of Tuong Duong district People's Committee said: Implementing the district's tourism development project, Tuong Duong is coordinating with Nghe An Department of Tourism, Nghe An Tourism Association and the Program for funding small projects in Vietnam (Global Environment Facility) to implement the project of developing ecotourism for ethnic minorities in the buffer zone of Pu Mat National Park. The main highlight of the project is to build a rest stop for tourists to enjoy the scenery and a sightseeing and photography route for tourists to walk and patrol to protect the forest.
Green tourism is a type of tourism based on nature and culture, with environmental education, contributing to conservation and sustainable development efforts, with the active participation of local communities. The core of green tourism is tourism products with special environmentally friendly elements, developed in accordance with the principles of environmental protection and sustainable development. It can be said that developing green tourism is the key to developing responsible tourism, ensuring sustainable tourism.
From the Tuong Duong cajuput forest, in Nghe An, there have been and are more eco-tourism forests being embellished and built, typically the indigenous forest of Quy Chau district. Implementing the resolution of the 26th Quy Chau District Party Congress, term 2020 - 2025, the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee has a policy to build a model of "Planting large timber trees associated with developing eco-tourism" to create a premise for developing forest economy and tourism. Accordingly, the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee has directed the People's Committee of Quy Chau district to reclaim 51 hectares of hilly land in the Ke Le slope area (next to National Highway 48, bordering the two communes of Chau Hoi and Chau Hanh) to deploy the indigenous forest model - great solidarity forest.
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| Newly planted native forests in Quy Chau. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
"The district has launched a movement to all staff in the agency; units, businesses, individuals inside and outside the district to participate in supporting and planting native trees in the Great Unity forest. Realizing the great benefits that native forests in particular and the tree planting movement bring, agencies, units, businesses, individuals inside and outside the district have responded and actively participated."
In just a few years, when the green trees take root, Quy Chau district will have a beautiful forest. The indigenous forest will become an important green eco-tourism highlight alongside existing relics and scenic spots such as Hang Bua, Tham Om, Tham Chang, Doc Binh Lang Van Thiet historical site, Hoa Tien ancient Thai village, Khe Ban, Khe Ban waterfall, Khe Mi... Under the canopy of the indigenous forest on Ke Le slope, the district will also plant medicinal plants, creating products to serve the needs of tourists when they come to the locality.
FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
However, it must be said that in Nghe An, the implementation of green tourism development is still in its initial stages and has revealed some limitations. Specifically, tourism development is not associated with the exploitation and effective use of resources; construction is not according to planning; causing negative impacts on the tourism environment, changing the natural landscape, foreign culture... One of the typical examples is in the upstream area of Pha Lai dam (Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district).
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| Tourists do not wear life jackets and eat and drink right on the boat at Pha Lai dam. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
In the upstream area of Pha Lai dam, for many years now, some households have built floating houses on the water to serve the food and beverage business without registration, inspection, technical safety certification and violating the dike corridor. The floating houses are makeshift, designed from barrels linked together, many places are damaged, easily causing unsafety for tourists. Not only that, the owners of the floating houses litter, and wastewater directly pollutes the environment. In addition, floating house businesses also set up docks using unregistered and uninspected vessels to transport tourists to visit Giang River, which is very dangerous for participants... Although the authorities have inspected and reminded, the floating houses still exist and are expanding the area underwater as well as onshore.
“The district has directed the Mon Son commune government to resolutely handle the case, but the commune People's Committee is still hesitant because it does not fully understand the legal regulations. Before Tet, the district People's Committee requested the Department of Justice to provide written instructions for the commune People's Committee to handle the case...”.
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| Long-standing illegal activities at Pha Lai Dam. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
Developing green tourism based on natural resources, culture, environment, and community in Nghe An still has limitations in terms of awareness. Currently, tourism in the province is being promoted in the Western region with new destinations such as Muong Long, Pu Xai Lai Leng and there have been signs of "quick-fixing" appearing in some individual businesses.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Bac - Director of a tourism company in Nghe An said: "It will be very dangerous when people exploit natural values without planning, without paying attention to protection and restoration; especially cultural hybridization, importing other cultures as indigenous cultures, without training people to serve tourism but still considering exploitation. Nghe An is in the early stages of developing green tourism, what is necessary now is to raise awareness and training on green tourism for the community, professional staff, and managers, from which to plan an implementation strategy. Before exploitation, we need to behave "beautifully" with the environment like Tuong Duong and Quy Chau have done"./.
