VNUJournalofScience,EarthSciences23(2007)146‐151 146 BuildingaGISdatabaseforecotourismdevelopment inBaViDistrict,HaTayProvince,Vietnam NguyenDinhMinh* CollegeofScience,VNU Received08July2007 Abstract.Ecotourismisaconceptandafastgrowingsegmentof thetourismindustryworldwide. It plays an increasingly important role in the socio‐economic development of many districts and provincesinVietnam. Therefore, itneeds to bewellplanned andmanaged withtheaid of spatial informationtechnologies suchas RemoteSensing (RS),Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) . This pa per presents the resul ts of building a GIS databas e fo r ecotourismdevelopmentinBaVi,alargelegendarymountainousdistrictofHaTayProvincebased onfieldand deskinvestigations.The created databaseconsistsofspatialand attributive data files relatedtonaturalandculturalresourcesinBaVistoredinastandardformatofArcViewGISthat canandshouldbeeffectivelyretrieved,analyzedandupda tedtogenerateusefulinformationinthe formofmaps,tables and charts to support ecotourismplanningand managementactivitiesinthe districtforsustainabledevelopment. Keywords:ArcView;GIS;Database;Ecotourism. 1.Introduction * In recent years, ecotourism has become a fast growing segment of the world tourism industry. It can be differentiated from traditional tourism in that it not only attempts tominimizetheenvironmentaleffectoftourism, but also has the goal that local communities and the physical environment will actually benefit from tourism. In its ideal form, ecotourism is a philosophy, an activity, a development policy all at the same time [8]. AccordingtotheofficialdefinitionoftheWorld Conservation Union (IUCN), ecotourism is ʺenvironmentally responsible travel and _______ * Tel.:84‐4‐5112474. E‐mail:ndminhvnu@yahoo.com visitationtorelativelyundisturbednaturalareas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (includinganyaccompanyingculturalfeatures‐ both past and present), that promotes conservation, has low visitor impact and provides for beneficially active socio‐economic involvement of local populationsʺ [2]. However, for Third World countries, ecotourism, according to Pleumarom [9], can become an ecological and economic trap (bad loan,oversupply, ).That iswhyit needstobe wellplannedandmanaged. In Vietnam, ecotourism has captured the attention of researchers, investors, and authorities in an effort to boost economic development and environmental protection throughout the country. It is defined as a type NguyenDinhMinh /VNUJournalofScience,EarthSciences23(2007)146‐151 147 of tourism based on nature and indigenous culture,whichnecessarilyinclu desenviro nmental educat ion,andcontributestoconservationefforts and sustainable development with the active involvement of the local community [6] . As a tropical, developingcountry inthe Asia Pacific region,and anewmemberoftheWorld Trade Organization,Vietnam has agreatpotentialfor ecotourism dev elo pm ent . However, the data andinformationonecotourisminVietnamisstill very limited. To fill this gap and help furt her developmentofecotourisminthecountry,more studies should be carried out and their results shouldbewidelydisseminatedthroughdifferent channels. This call forthe applicationof spatial information technologies such as remote sensing, GIS and GPS to develop databases to supportecotourismplanningand management atnational,provincialanddistrictlevels. This paper describes the research effort to buildaGISdatabaseforecotourismdevelopment atthe districtlevel withspecial reference to Ba ViDistrict,HaTayProvinceinnorthernVietnam, focusing on its local nature and culture. It is believedthattheresearchresultswillserveasa soundbasisforBaVi’secotourismplanningand management, and the experience from Ba Vi canbeappliedtootherdistrictsinthe country. 2.Studyarea The study area is the largest and northernmost district of Ha Tay Province. It is locatedabout60kmwestofHanoiandbordered withprovincesofPhuTho,VinhPhucandHoa Binh (Fig. 1). Ba Vi is a forested district with threemountain peaks: DinhVua (1298m),Tan Vien(1227m)andNgocHoa(1180m)surrounded bylowundulatedhills,andwatersheds. TherocktypesinBaViincludePrecambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Kainozoic rocks. The soil typescomprise redyellow,brown red and yellow feralite soils, red brown basaltic soils, alluvialsoils, valleysoils,andgleysoils. Ba Vi Phu Tho Vinh Phuc Hoa Binh Hanoi Ha Tay N EW S 10 0 10 Km Province District Fig.1.Locationofthestudyarea. NguyenDinhMinh /VNUJournalofScience,EarthSciences23(2007)146‐151 148 The climate is tropical with hot humid summer andcold dry winter. It isaltitudinally differentiated into microclimatic zones, particularlyfavorableforsummertourism.The mean annual temperature is about 23‐25 0 C in theareasbelow100m,20 0 C at500m,and18 0 C at 1000 melevations. The mean annual rainfall is2000‐2500mm. Water resources are represented by Da River, Red River, other small rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs. Stream density varies from0,1‐1,5km/km 2 ,tendingtoincreaseasone goes farther from the Ba Vi peak. Many small streams have been embanked to serve agricultureandtourism. Vegetation resources comprise natural forest, planted forest, shrub, orchards, rice and grazing fields. There are three types of forest distributed on the Ba Vi Mountain: tropical humid evergreen closed forest, subtropical humidevergreen closedforest, andsubtropical mixed broadleaf‐needleleaf forest. The Ba Vi National Park (BVNP) was established in 1991 withanareaof7377hatoconservebiodiversity. The natural forest is mainly distributed at elevations above 600 m. Rare and precious species consist of Calocedrus marcrolepis Kurz, Podocarpus neriifolius, Madhuca pasquieri, Michelia baviensis, Cyathea gygantea, Tacca chandrieri. Endemic species are Caryodaphnopsis baviensis,Litseabaviensi. BaViDistrictconsistsofatownshipand31 communeswithatotalareaofabout440.34km 2 , andapopulationofabout250,000people.Kinh, Muong,andDaoarethreemajorethnic groups living in th e area. Their main economic activities are agriculture, forestry and tourism. According to IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute) and IDS (Institute for DevelopmentStudies)[5],BaViisapoordistrict with 40‐50% of people live below the poverty line. It is believed that ec ot o uri sm activity can contribute actively to povert y reduction and sustainabledevelo pm e nt inBaViDistrict. According to statistics, the number of touristscomingtoBaVihasbeenincreasing[1]. However, the number of international tourists is still limited, only about 1%. This may be attributedtounsuitablevisitconditions,lackof data, information, andlimitedadvertising. The lack of spatial and non‐spatial data necessary forecotourismplanningandmanagementinBa Vicanbefoundatboththedistrictdepartments andthe national park management board. This studyisanattempttodealwithsuchaproblem by creatingaGISdatabase thatallowsefficient ecotourism related data input, management, analysisandoutput. 3.Dataandmethods 3.1.Data ThedatausedtobuildtheGISdatabasefor ecotourism development in Ba Vi come from different sources includingexisting maps,atlas [7], research reports, newspapers, magazines, journals,brochures,travelguides,websitesand ground survey in the form of text, maps, imagery and pictures. They can be primary or secondary, digital or analogue that depict locations,shape,extent andattributesofnatural and cultural resources in the district such as mountains, rivers, springs, falls, lakes, reservoirs,national park,forests, gardens,road network, schoolsand existingecotourism sites. They constitute the key themes and attribute tablesinthedesignedArcViewGISdatabase. 3.2.Methods TheGISdatabasedevelopmentrequiredthe use of different hardware and software. The hardware used includesPC, laptop computers, scanners, digitizers, printers, GPS receiver and digitalcamera.TheGIS,spreadsheetanddatabase management software packages including MapInfo,ArcView,Idrisi,MS Excel,MSAccess were used to create the required themes and NguyenDinhMinh /VNUJournalofScience,EarthSciences23(2007)146‐151 149 tablesintheArcViewGISenvironment. ArcViewGISbythe EnvironmentalSystems Research Institute (ESRI) was adopted for this research because of its popularity, ease of installation, ease of use, power, flexibility, intuitivityandextendability.Thesoftwareisthe premier solution for desktop GIS analysis and map presentation. It lets one work with maps, tables,andchartsallinasingleapplication[3,4]. The procedure for developing the GIS ecotourism database for Ba Vi in ArcView includes data collection, data input, data management,dataanalysisanddataoutput. Thedata collectioninvolvedsurveyingand collecting available data and primary data in and outside thedistrict. This work wascarried out in the office and in th e field. The Internet searchengineswereemployed.Duringthefield investigations, hand held GPS was used to collectspatialdataoffeaturesofinterestandfor geo‐referencing and updating existing digital maps. Still pictures were taken using digital camera. During the data input, methods of manual digitizing, scanning, keyboard entry and data conversion were employed. Analogue maps were scanned, digitized using Microstation, MapInfo,andArcView.GPSdata wereentered inExcelandimpo rtedtocreateArcViewthemes. The data in MapInfo format were converted intoArcViewformat usingUniversalTranslator. The data management was performed to ensureefficientstorageofdatafilesondifferent media such as hard disk, CD, DVD and USB and in the right map projection. This involved renaming, copying, deleting and saving data files. The data files were analyzed by location or attributeto create BaVi specificthemes and tables. Finally, the output from the database wasmadeintheformofhardcopies,electronic copies using the above mentioned hardware andsoftwaretools. 4.Resultsanddiscussion Asa mainresult, anArcViewGIS database was developed which contains spatial and attribute data files of natural and cultural resources in Ba Vi. The spatial data include feature themes (e.g., points, lines, polygons) and image themes (e.g., satellite images, and groundphotos)(Fig.2,3,4,and5). The themes and associated tables in the databaseallowonetoview, query,andanalyze ecotourism in Ba Vi. For example, different ArcView GIS project files can be created containing one or more views with multiple themes that can be displayed, queried, and editedtoallowforvariousspatialinterpretations oftheBaViecotourismopportunit ies. Fig.2.Exampleoffeaturethemesinthedatabase. NguyenDinhMinh /VNUJournalofScience,EarthSciences23(2007)146‐151 150 Fig.3.Anattributetableinthedatabase. Fig.4.Asatelliteimagetheme inthedatabase. Fig.5.AgroundphotooftreefernsinBaViNationalPark. Thedatabasemeetstheneedsofspatialand attribute analysis to derive useful qualitative andquantitative informationaboutlocationsof ecotourism sites, best or nearest lodges, optimum plan for sight seeing and shortest routeingettingtoecotourismdestinations.The database and its products can be used for efficientmarketing ofecotourism activitiesand destinationsinthedistrict. In other words, from the GIS database, various outputs including maps, graphics, pictures are generated to support education, planning, management and promotion of ecotourism in Ba Vi. The ArcView maps NguyenDinhMinh /VNUJournalofScience,EarthSciences23(2007)146‐151 151 generated from the GISdatabase can showthe extent of Ba Vi District, as well as hydrology, roadsandmajorecotourismsitesinandaround BVNP, including Khoang Xanh, Ao Vua, Thac Da, BangTa‐DamLong,NgocNhistorkgarden, Suoi Hai reservoir. Ecotourism routes can be developedto connectBVNP,SuoiHaireservoir, Ao Vua, Khoang Xanh, Dam Long or can start from VNUʹs Ba Vi Experimental Center for Ecological and Environmental Education (BVECEEE)toBaVipeaks;toDa Chong,Minh Quang;and XomQuyt amianextractionsite. Specific activities or products that can be developed in Ba Vi include destination lodge (ecolodgesorresorts),freshwaterfishing,forest walk, mountainbiking,hiking,natureobservation, birdwatchingandwildlifeviewing,attendinga festival, a cultural event, visiting an ethnic minorityvillage,ahistoricsite. The created database is a powerful tool to explorelocalecologicalfactors,admire,and enjoy thenaturalbeauty,biodiversityaswellascultural valuesoftheKinh,MuongandDaopeopleliving in the area. This digital source of data and information is essential to understanding and conservingtheuniquecharacterofBaViDistrict. It is a well structured database, which can be easily updated,andexpandedtomeetthefuture needsofecotourismdevelopmentinBaVi. 5.Conclusionsandrecommendations BaViDistrict,HaTayProvinceinnorthern Vietnamisaforested areawithgreatecotourism potential. An ArcView GIS database has been developed for ecotourism development in the district using different data sources, popular GIS and othersoftware packages. It consists of spatialandattributivedatafilesoflocalnatural andculturalresources. The created GIS database is useful in thematic mapping, tabulating and charting to support education, planning, management and promotionofecotourisminBaVi.Itisatoolto raiseawarenessandadvertiseBaViecotourism productsmore,fasterandbetter. The database can and should be used for furtherstudiesinBaViecotourismusingremote sensing, GIS and GPS. It can be easily and quickly updated and expanded as new data becomeavailable.Itisalsodesirable toupgrade with sound data to form a multimedia GIS ecotourismdatabase. Finally, the experience of GIS database development for BaViDistrict canand should be applied to other districts in the country to bettercapture,store,manage,analyzeanddisplay dataforsustainableecotourismdevelopment. References [1] BaViDistrict’sPeopleCommittee,Reportonthe performance of tourism business, Ba Vi, 2004 (in Vietnamese). [2] H. Ceballos‐Lascurain, Tourism, ecotourism, and protected areas, IUCN Protected Areas Programme,IUCNGland,1996. [3] ESRI, Using ArcView GIS, Redlands, CA, US A, 1996. [4] ESRI, Ar cView GIS‐the Ge ogr aphic information systemforeveryone.Redlands,CA,USA,2000. [5] IFPRIandIDS,PovertyandinequalityinVietnam: Spatial patterns and geographic determinants, Hanoi,2003. [6] A. Koeman, The economics of protected areas andtheroleofecotourismintheirmanagement: the case of Vietnam, Second Regional Forum for Southeast Asiaof theIUCN World Commissionfor ProtectedAreas,Pakse,LaosPDR,1999. [7] Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MOSTE), Atlas Vietnam: Natural resources and Environment, Hanoi, 2000 (in Vietnamese). [8] J. Mock and O. Kimberley, Survey of Ecotourism Potential in Pakis tanʹs Biodiversity, A consultancy reportforIUCN,Islamabad, Pakistan,1996. [9] A. Pleumarom, Eco‐tourism: An ecological and economic trap for Third World Countries, 5 th meetingoftheConferenceofPartiestotheConvention onBiologicalDiversity,Singapore,1999. . database for Ba Vi in ArcView includes data collection, data input, data management,dataanalysisanddataoutput. Thedata collectioninvolvedsurveyingand collecting available. be easily updated,andexpandedtomeetthefuture needsof ecotourism development in Ba Vi. 5.Conclusionsandrecommendations Ba Vi District, Ha Tay Province in northern Vietnam is a forested areawithgreat ecotourism potential. An ArcView GIS database . r ecotourism development in Ba Vi, a largelegendarymountainousdistrictof Ha Tay Provincebased onfieldand deskinvestigations.The created database consistsofspatialand attributive data files relatedtonaturalandculturalresources in Ba Vi stored in a standardformatofArcView GIS that canandshouldbeeffectivelyretrieved,analyzedandupda