Seminar on improving quality of community-based tourism to support the protection of Trang An World Heritage

Situated near the southern margin of the Red River Delta, the Trang An Landscape Complex is a spectacular landscape of limestone karst peaks permeated with valleys, many of them partly submerged and surrounded by steep, almost vertical cliffs. The property also contains temples, pagodas, paddy-fields and small villages with their unique culture and lifestyle. The complex is one of 1121 world heritage sites.

Trang An Landscape Complex become the most attractive tourist destination in Ninh Binh province; the province therefore has made great efforts to enhance management and preserve it to become a national tourist destination. However, this place is facing challenges in harmonizing the heritage conservation and economic development. Therefore, in February 2021, Ninh Binh Department of Tourism in collaboration with UNESCO Vietnam and the Center for Nature Conservation and Development (CCD) held a seminar on “Promoting tourism quality at a Trang An Landscape Complex”.

As a technical support body, CCD will facilitate a research and development of a sustainable community-based tourism model in this complex. CCD also shared methods which will be used and approach to promote sustainable tourism activities to ensure the integrity of natural and cultural values.

In addition to the work on community-based tourism in Trang An Landscape Complex, CCD is also working with other provinces, protected areas, national parks to develop ecotourism & community-based tourism plans/strategy. CCD aim to ensure that tourism plans will strategically be developed, managed, and well-practiced to ensure that tourism will become a sustainable livelihoods option for local communities in mountainous and Protected Area’s buffer zone. More importantly, CCD will facilitate the tourism development to become effect tool in raising public awareness about nature and biodiversity conservation, reducing people’s dependence and impacts on the protected area and its natural resources.

Photo 1. Representative of UNESCO and Ninh Binh Tourism Department

Photo 2. The CCD’s expert share information at the seminar

Photo 3. The CCD’s expert share information at the seminar