Training on ecotourism skills for forest-dependent communities

The training course on ‘Tourism skills for forest-dependent communities’ in the buffer zone of Dong Chau – Khe Nuoc Trong Nature Reserve in Kim Thuy commune, Le Thuy district was held on June 6, 2022, jointly implemented by HELVETAS Vietnam, Netin Tourism Company and local partners. This is one of the activities of Sub-Component 6 (THP), aiming to create sustainable livelihoods for forest-dependent communities through community-based ecotourism activities to conserve biodiversity in special-use forests and protection forests.

Subcomponent 6 is one of the subcomponents of the Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation Project (VFBC) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aims to maintain and enhance forest quality in areas of high conservation value, protect and balance wildlife populations, species and habitats in provinces of high conservation value. The project will be implemented in 5 provinces of the Central region from 2022-2026 (see detailed information in Appendix 1).

The training course took place in 1 day with the full, enthusiastic and lively participation of 18 Van Kieu ethnic trainees from 3 border villages of Kim Thuy commune, including Ho-Rum, Mit Cat, Trung Doan. The trainees included both men and women, with an average age of about 30-35 years old, members who were healthy, active, enthusiastic and loved to travel. The training content included basic knowledge of communication skills with tourists; tour service skills; ‘homestay’ accommodation services, local cuisine and culture; camping skills, ensuring an eco-tourism environment.

According to the comments of the trainees, the training course has provided useful knowledge for potential members of the community to prepare to participate in tourism activities with Netin Company Limited in the commune. The trainees look forward to the next intensive training courses to improve their knowledge and skills in tourism services.

Helvetas Organization and Netin Company Limited will continue to support the community to improve tourism skills, build products, promote to the market to attract tourists and bring sustainable income to the community, contributing to the conservation of biodiversity of the forests in Dong Chau – Khe Nuoc Trong area.

Appendix 1: General Information about the Project

The “Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation” (VFBC) project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and will be implemented over a period of 5 years from 2021 to 2026. The overall objective of the project is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration from production forests, both natural and planted forests in Vietnam, and conserve biodiversity in forest areas with high biodiversity value in the country. The project includes two components: Component 1 – Sustainable Forest Management and Component 2 – Biodiversity Conservation.

The specific objectives of Component 2 are: 1. to maintain and enhance forest quality in areas of high conservation value; 2. to protect and balance wildlife populations, species and habitats in provinces of high conservation value. Component 2 targets 10 Special-use Forest Management Boards (SUFs) and at least 5 Protection Forest Management Boards (PFMBs) in the provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam and Lam Dong. The component is implemented in close coordination with WWF USA, WWF Vietnam, Helvetas Vietnam, Fauna & Flora International in Vietnam (FFI), the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife, Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Education for Nature Center – ENV.

The Biodiversity Conservation component includes four sub-components:

1. Subcomponent 6: Promoting conservation-friendly production and business for forest-dependent communities
2. Subcomponent 7: Strengthening management of special-use forests and protection forests
3. Subcomponent 8: Strengthening the effectiveness of the law enforcement system against forest and wildlife crimes
4. Subcomponent 9: Reducing consumption through behavioral change approaches

Subcomponent 6 is implemented by Helvetas with the aim of improving the livelihoods of communities living in the buffer zones of national protected areas through promoting conservation-friendly production and business. The THP will promote the development of forest and biodiversity-friendly value chains (CGT) for NTFPs, high-value agriculture, community-based ecotourism and skills training, and employment opportunities for local people.

Subcomponent 6 will focus on three main groups of closely related activities: 1) Improving livelihoods through sustainable development of agricultural and NTFP products; 2) developing community tourism and 3) facilitating legal job changes for hunters, illegal loggers and their family members.