21640 activity summary tourism phase II

Preface This report summarizes activities carried out within the Sustainable Tourism Development Component during Phase II of the ‘Nature Conservation and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park Region’ Project (in short PNKB Project) which lasted from 10/2010 to 09/2013 The Project’s overall aim is to reduce the pressures on the use of natural resources in the PNKB NP, to improve the livelihood of the local people and to explicitly link nature conservation and socio-economic development This summary has been prepared in order to review past activities and lessons learnt and in view of the phasing out of the tourism component of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang Region Project before the start of the final Project Phase III (10/2013 - 9/2015) This report presents the major thematic areas the Project has been involved in with reference to tourism in the region, including major outcomes and major weaknesses/ difficulties as well as lessons learnt and next steps (if applicable) Tourism has been massively growing in the past decade and it has increasingly been acknowledged by the local government as an economic driver for future development The well-being of human-kind is inextricably linked to the integrity of nature and there is hope that decision-makers are or become genuinely interested in sustainable development which sets forth responsible practices in tourism that consider both ecological and socio-economic aspects for development The PNKB region is still in its early stages of development and the future activities need to carefully consider the sensitivity of the natural environment and the cultural heritage of the local people in order to not compromise the World Heritage Site status We would like to thank all private and public tourism stakeholders as well as non-profit organisations in the region as well as in Vietnam as well as all the individuals with whom we had the pleasure working with over this long period of time as well as our colleagues for their continuous support and much needed input i Content Preface i Content ii Introduction – Why Sustainable Tourism Development? Thematic Areas 2.1 Sustainable Tourism Development Plan and Task Force Group 2.2 Advisory to the DoCST 2.3 Advisory to the National Park/ Phong Nha Tourism Centre 2.3.1 Cave Management 2.3.2 Environmental Safeguarding and Awareness Raising 2.3.2.1 Innovation of Tourism Boats 2.3.2.2 Awareness Raising in the Local Community 2.3.3 Promotion/ Marketing and Miscellaneous 10 2.4 CbT Development Review 12 2.5 Hospitality and Service Improvement Phong Nha 15 2.6 Other Activities 17 2.6.1 Value Chain Enhancement Workshop 17 2.6.2 Souvenir Vendors in Phong Nha – Connecting Local Producers with Local Vendors 18 2.6.3 Internal Activities 20 2.7 Ongoing Activities/ Phasing Out Activities 21 Final Remarks 22 3.1 Future Needs 22 3.2 Why Phasing Out Sustainable Tourism Development? 24 Bibliography 26 ii Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) Introduction – Why Sustainable Tourism Development? Recreational and touristic activities are increasingly used as a means for the creation of PAs or as an additional income source for their maintenance Tourism has become a preferred sector, considering its appeal to attract funding and its potential to replace or avert loss which comes along with disappearing subsistence farming Although tourism can generate income which benefits PA conservation, there are many cases in which uncoordinated management and intransparent planning hinder sustainable development, thereby reducing local benefit sharing and, ultimately, nature conservation To encompass PA development and management requires careful consideration and understanding of the stakeholder surroundings, including their roles, responsibilities and interests as well as understanding of the wider policy, historical, economic and political environment that the respective PA is set in In 2007, the GoV released Decree 10/2007/QD-BNN which provides the legal background for the management of eco-touristic activities taking place in National Parks and Nature Reserves While the term eco-tourism is widely used, there is yet little understanding/ many different understandings about its practical implementation at the destination level The Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park (PNKB NP) region has attracted a fast growing number of visitors in the past decade This is largely owing to the UNESCO Natural World Heritage listing since 2003 and to the attention the Park has received nationally and internationally for the opening up of an increasing number of caves to the public in 2012/2013, amongst these, Hang Son Doong, the largest cave in the world discovered to date Although there are no reliable figures available, it is estimated that, compared to other NPs in Vietnam, park-related tourism revenues are rather exceptional However, the influx of the around 450.000 visitors to the NP is mainly confined to Phong Nha and Paradise Cave at the eastern Park boundary and to the touristic peak season in the summer Other potentials exist, but have yet to be developed and promoted Both the Park and the surrounding buffer zone region, overall, still feature only poor touristic facilities Most visitors hardly spend more than a day in the province and only very few hours in the NP Touristic development in the buffer zone has so far been restricted due to capacity and infrastructural constraints as well as due to lengthy processes for access permissions in selected buffer zone areas for international visitors Besides the hiring of boats from two villages in Son Trach commune, there is almost no inter-linkage with tourism and the buffer communes apart from a negative demand for wildlife food in tourist restaurants Environmental and conservation awareness among tourists is low The PNKB Region Project aimed at addressing some of the problematic issues which (have) come along with fast tourism development In the following, activities which have been implemented in Phase II or which are still in the stages of their implementation are outlined Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) Thematic Areas 2.1 Sustainable Tourism Development Plan and Task Force Group Major Outcomes The Sustainable Tourism Development Plan (2010-2010) was prepared in a participatory process as a consultancy assignment to the GIZ and is meant to be one of the three main management plans, besides the Park Management Plan (2013-2025) and the Operational Managament Plan (2013-2020), which guide overall park management The STDP has been approved by the Provincial People’s Committee of Quang Binh with Decision No 2822/QĐ-UBND from 1st of November 2010 The main purpose of the STDP is to serve as a major guidance for future development and planning for local, provincial and national authorities and for potential tourism developers and investors Furthermore, the STDP is set to support the fulfilment of the UNESCO WHS requirements and to have instruments in place for the management of the WHS The STDP addresses the tourism management and planning of the PNKB NP WHS There are several activities that have been developed in compliance with the STDP, mainly tours, which were based on surveys on potentials from the Master Plan, more practical and quieter boats, and community-based tourism products The ADB Mekong Tourism Project has furthermore been continuously implementing activities from the STDP The implementation of the STDP was initially steered by an Implementation Task Force The objective of the Task Force Group was to promote the successful implementation of the STDP for the PNKB NP region through ensuring effective coordination of the tasks and activities of the related stakeholders The Group was formed in April 2012 and included 13 members who coordinate the organization of activities and meetings related to the STDP implementation The Group has met twice in 2012 (from an envisaged four times in 2012)1 Outcomes of the meetings include a final report on implementation progress of the development activities in the STDP, including lessons learnt, approved operational regulations, and a member-approved working plan up to December 2013, including ToR’s and a detailed action plan for Group members Major Weaknesses/ Difficulties The function of the STDP to attract investments and funding has so far little materialized, mainly due to the fact that provincial government has not paid great attention to this plan and due to a lack of donor interest and clarity on how this plan could be used The former has also been mentioned as one of the major reasons for the little progress made by the Task Force Group Moreover, although the STDP was officially approved in late 2010, it has not been known by many agencies or private stakeholders (rf Project Progress Review This is partly because the group was established months behind schedule Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) Report) A few stakeholders thought the plan to be practical, but the implementation of activities has overall been slow, also by the Project The Task Force Group has been working at a very modest level Albeit sufficient information available, it lacks operational budget and technical knowledge on how to monitor the STDP Lesson’s Learnt  Stakeholders might need better guidance when breaking down the Master Plan at the activity level (detailed steps for their implementation) in order to be also applied and considered in practice  During the preparation of a plan like this, there should be more active involvement of key stakeholders from the beginning; a grassroot approach could be followed and time constraints/ pressures for report formulation should be avoided  The STDP lacks certain steps and criteria to be addressed also by private sector actors  The Task Force Group needs a committed leading person which has the capability to call all actors in and to show the practicality and usefulness of both the STDP and the Task Force Group However, such commitment and motivation is often associated with additional coverage for human resources costs Next Steps The STDP is providing a clear and comprehensive overview and plans which refer to tourism development in the region should further use this as a starting point for discussion The mechanism and the action plans for various activities/ terms are available but not functional Provincial-level and stakeholders active in tourism development in the region should consider:  There has no funding been made available for the operation of the Task Force Group and it seems likely that the Province will not allocate any official budgets in the future The Task Force Group has, at this point, ceased to exist  An activity revision of the STDP has taken place, but it has not been submitted by the Task Force Group yet The Plan needs continuous revision by stakeholders (e.g on the feasibility of activities, on schedule of activities)  The Task Force Group can be a good instrument for supervising and implementing proposed activities, if empowered in coordinating and monitoring these activities Documentation Date 05 2012 03 2011 & 04 2012 Document Tourism Development Overview 2012 and Task Force meeting minutes Decision on formation of the Provincial Supervision Group and Task Force Support Group for the STDP Author/Editor Truong Si Hong Chau Department of Tourism Language Vietnamese and English Vietnamese Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) 03 2011 12 2011 11.2011 03 2011 11 2010 11.2010 10 2010 implementation Proposal (plus TOR) for establishment of Provincial Supervision Group and Task Force Support Group for the STDP implementation Strategic Paper for Sustainable Tourism Development in the PNKB NP region Quang Binh Tourism Stakeholder Analysis Process Documentation “Elaboration of the Sustainable Tourism Development Plan from 2010 to 2020 Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park Region” Sustainable Tourism Development Plan (STDP) from 2010 to 2020 for Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park Region Decision No 2822/QD-UBND of Quang Binh PPC, dated 01st 11 2010 approving the Sustainable Tourism Development Plan (STDP) for the PNKB National Park Region Report on STDP Validation Truong Si Hong Chau Vietnamese and English Thomas Finkel Vietnamese and English Vietnamese and English English Truong Si Hong Chau Truong Si Hong Chau Tourism Resource Consultants (TRC) Vietnamese and English PPC Quang Binh Vietnamese and English TRC Vietnamese Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) 2.2 Advisory to the DoCST Major Outcomes The DoCST was provided advisory and support on the content, design and English editing for a number of promotional activities Most importantly these are the tourism guidebook ‘Discovery Quang Binh’ which was printed in early 2013, and four welcoming panels to the province Furthermore, DoCST staff was given the possibility to participate in the Hanoi Annual Conference on Responsible Tourism in World Heritage Sites as well as in a Green Tourism and Economics Workshop in Hue in 2011 Besides, a years training programme for public stakeholders on tourism laws and state administration was developed as well as a Capacity Building Training Programme for the public and private sector was drafted (for the local hotel sector, for the Park, for Paradise Cave, for the DoCST and for the TPIC) Major Weaknesses/ Difficulties  The training programme could not be implemented due to a lack of funding  Additionally, the recruitment of a CIM expert failed for the year 2012 due to late application and due to a limited, fixed number of CIM experts for Vietnam An expert would be to advice and support the DoCST and the TPIC with regards to public relations, to a WHS network for the province and to capacity building measures on nature-based tourism promotion  Approval processes and payment mechanisms are slow  Stakeholder interest is low Lessons Learnt  Although formal roles and responsibilities of the DoCST within tourism development in the region are recognised, support in institutional strenghtening remains difficult, other local government institutions, namely the PPC, hold final decision-making powers  Importance of awareness raising for CIM expert to increase initiative of the DoCST and the TPIC in the recruitment process  Funding for the capacity building programme should have been secured Next Steps  If the DoCST and the TPIC show initiative, then a follow-up for next round for CIM applications can be initiated Documentation Date 2011 Document Training Needs Assessment Report Author/Editor Truong Si Hong Chau Language Vietnamese Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) 2.3 Advisory to the National Park/ Phong Nha Tourism Centre 2.3.1 Cave Management The caves in the PNKB NP have become the most important tourism attraction Currently, there are caves open to the public: serving mass touristic activities (Dong Thien Duong, Dong Phong Nha and Dong Tien Son) while there are caves which are visited by only a limited number of visitors (Hang Toi, Hang Thuy Cung and Hang Sinh Ton, Hang En and Hang Son Doong) The caves opened for tourism in: Year 1994 2000 2010 2011 2011 2013 2013 Cave Dong Phong Nha Dong Tien Son Dong Thien Duong Hang Toi Hang En Hang Thuy Cung and Hang Sinh Ton Hang Son Doong (pilot tours) Major Outcomes  Stakeholders think the cave management guideblines which have been developed in the 1st Phase of the PNKB Region Project to be specific and detailed and a quality document which follows WHS regulations and which is also applicable for longer caves The DoCST primarily uses the guidelines from the British Cave Association for more recently opened caves which enable faster opening timeframes of the caves to tourists For already open caves, the GIZ guidelines are, however, still considered as the most important document to give recommendations for the Park Management Board  Liasing with ADB, the KfW and the Park for cave improvement The cave management proposal for Phong Nha Cave is based on the study tour report to the Gunung Mulu National Park A study tour took place during Phase I  Stakeholders mentioned that boat drivers, photographers and tourist guides were trained on cave conservation and have changed their behavior 2, guards were assigned to protect the caves, lights were reduced or changed in color and infrastructure improved Mentioned changes were: not leaving garbage, not urinating in the caves and not walking on and breaking stalactites anymore Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013)  The ADB Mekong Tourism Project will apply the GIZ guidelines in the near future (e.g a boardwalk and new lights are currently installed in Tien Son Cave); the Tourism Centre has installed, upon recommendation of the guidelines, LED lights in Phong Nha Cave in July 2013 Major Weaknesses/ Difficulties  Difficulties for technical implementations and difficulties for tour guides to use guidelines  Lack of funding and lengthy funding procedures within the PNKB Region Project  ADB applied the guidelines well, but process and progress slow, behind schedule for one year due to funding procedures  Guidelines were initially not distributed to private sector representatives and there are only considered as one out of several guidelines available to goverment agencies3 Lessons Learnt  Triggering of interest from donors and public stakeholders in implementing guidelines (on soft skills and infrastructural planning) can be improved Next Steps  Guidelines could be applied/ adjusted to other caves in the region  The Park and the DoCST should further seek to strengthen their collaboration in cave development e.g step-by-step through information exchange Documentation Date 2010 Author/Editor Brian Clark Language English and Vietnamese 2010 Document A conceptual re-development plan for the show caves of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province, Viet Nam Cave re-development proposal Hoang Hai Van 2010-2011 Three party minutes on cave re-development 2010-2011 2013 08 2011 Cave Panel for Interpreation Truong Si Hong Chau GIZ/KfW English and Vietnamese English and Vietnamese English and Vietnamese Vietnamese 07 2011 Tourism TNA Report and capacity building programme for PNKB NP region Training manual for park guides (Park history and values) 2011 Tourism TNA Workshop Report Truong Si Hong Chau Truong Si Hong Chau Truong Si Hong Chau Vietnamese Vietnamese There are also legal documents from provincial and national levels, from the Mulu Park and from the British Cave Association Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) 2.4 CbT Development Review The timeline describes the meetings held (blue), the field visits done (red) and the documents/ reports produced Initial working proposal Launch meeting Commune 1st field days days visit Dan Hoa Trong Hoa Activities review and WP Phase II proposal Annex Document – survey results Follow-up meeting Commune days Dan Hoa 07 2012 08 09 10 11 Village meetings Ra Mai and Ta Vong Commune meeting, hh selection process 01 2013 02 03 08 CbT WG workshop Ta Vong Rapid hh assessments days 04 05 06 10 11 12 Draft proposal for future development days tour operator pilot visit 07 2013 12 09 Major Outcomes  Awareness raising for CbT amongst local authorities and villagers, CbT readiness  A broad assessment of Dan Hoa and Trong Hoa in terms of infrastructural setting and cultural background of May and Khua minorities  Working proposals for next steps  Selection of pilot villages (Ta Vong and Ra Mai, both in Trong Hoa)  Setting up of a CbT Working Group in Ta Vong  Selection of pilot households in Ta Vong  Pilot tour operator visit to Ta Vong (and briefly passing by to Ra Mai for looking at the handicraft initiative) Major Weaknesses/ Difficulties  Weak follow-up on activities by the GIZ, particularly between October 2012 and March 2013  Continuous available budgets are uncertain 12 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013)  Selection of pilot villages in only one Commune was not totally agreed upon by the other Commune  Internal changes within GIZ, deficit of budgets, what comes next?  Difficult border permission procedures easily cause resentment with private stakeholders Lessons Learnt  A regular follow-up of activities is indispensable  Information needs to be shared with not only local authorities and the private sector but also with provincial authorities right from the start (even though it is considered a pilot activity)  Budgets need to be secured throughout the whole piloting process  Border permission procedures need to be handled with from early onwards, project should have supported a proposal from the Commune to the Province for approval upon the beginning of the activities (even though only in their piloting stage) Next Steps  Support Commune in drafting a proposal to the Province on border permission procedures for tourism  Depending on chosen development option, outlining of a detailed training (schedule) and detailed budget plan for upcoming activities  Securing budget/ financing  (Keep upscaling activities in mind) Documentation Date 09.2013 Document CbT draft proposal (needs assessment and development options) Author/Editor Anna Huebner/ Truong Si Hong Chau (under review) 07.2013 CbT Workshop Outcomes and Next Steps Ta Vong 06.2013 Summary 1st village meetings Ra Mai and Ta Vong 12.2012 Workshop Report on CbT and Handicraft Models in the Minh Hoa District Working Proposal CbT Development Phase II Anna Huebner/ Truong Si Hong Chau Anna Huebner/ Truong Si Hong Chau Tuong Trang Hieu 09.2012 08.2012 06.2012 CbT Development in Minh Hoa: Annex Document for Phase I Activities Initial Working Proposal: Community-based Tourism Development in the Buffer Zone of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Truong Si Hong Chau / Anna Huebner Truong Si Hong Chau / Anna Huebner Anna Huebner Language English (Vietnamese under review) English (and partially Vietnamese) English English English and Vietnamese English English and Vietnamese 13 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) Dinner with village head during pilot visit; discussion about tourism with villagers View upon Ta Vong and Do village; drawing the village and its surroundings Elaborations during the Working Group meeting in Ta Vong 14 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) 2.5 Hospitality and Service Improvement Phong Nha Major Outcomes Hospitality activities  Capacity building, organisation and information provision in pilot hotels in Phong Nha (Thien Thanh, Thanh Dat, Xuan Son, Thao Nguyen and Binh Minh)  Formation of the Hotel Club, meetings of the Hotel Club: once a month, overall times (members: pilot hotels + new members)  Design of around business cards for restaurants/ cafés as well as  Translation of around 40 menus in restaurants and cafés, hard and soft (CD) copies of the menus were handed over Supporting the start-up of a bike rental service, service now grants the owner with additional income Implementation of bilingual manuals to pulic service providers to help servicing international customers English lessons for hospitality staff (14 lessons held once a week with, on average 15 participants) Conservation awareness raising through the distribution of posters, stickers and postcards at restaurants, cafés and hotels (Wildlife at Risk: WAR) and GIZ PNKB posters Major Weaknesses/ Difficulties  Little interest of souvenir vendors to attend classes, if transport costs to the class are not covered by the Project, their class had to be suspended due to little attendance  Hotel Club members are often too busy during the summer months to attend the meetings regularly, hotel members lost interest  Usage of menus not known  Updating of menus is needed regularly  Initially language barriers for training  There have been fast developments taking place in Phong Nha and competition among the private sector is getting fiercer Lessons Learnt  Facilitating collaboration among private actors can at times be difficult  Communication with international visitors for local private tourism sector still difficult while competitiveness is increasing 15 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013)  Awareness raising on continuous hospitality improvement of local small-scale businesses is needed  Promote own initiative of stakeholders right from the beginning Next steps  Awareness raising  Hotel Club maintained and extended without external input Documentation Date 08.2012 07.2012 07.2012 Document English Class Tour Guides: Feedback Results Initial Appraisal for Hotel Guest Survey in Phong Nha town English Class Hospitality in Phong Nha town: Midterm and Final Feedback Results Author/Editor Anna Huebner Anna Huebner Language English English Anna Huebner English English class held at the Tourism Centre in Phong Nha 16 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) 2.6 Other Activities 2.6.1 Value Chain Enhancement Workshop Major Outcomes In December 2011, a workshop was held with a wide range of private and public actors in tourism in the PNKB NP region, aiming at establishing a strategy for an upgrading of the tourism value chain for the region The outputs also included practical recommendations for private-public partnership models and a concrete 3-years action plan for the projects’ interventions in the tourism value chain in the PNKB region Participants gained an understanding of tourism economic flows, analyzed strengths and weaknesses of sustainable tourism through an analysis of tourism clusters/ segments and identified interventions and initiatives for strengthening the institutional arrangements within the tourism sector Attendees furthermore got to know about how to analyse and upgrade a value chain and how to facilitate its development process Major Weaknesses/ Difficulties The value chain analysis method was perceived as a good tool – inclusive and participatory – by almost all participants and that it helps to detect who will what in a defined value chain Critique was uttered by two public tourism institutions concerning an improper survey preceding the workshop due to time constraints and the complexity of the topic The workshop report was, by those who had read it, seen as being useful, practical and well written Except for some efforts by the ADB Mekong Tourism Project the actual implementation of value chains has however not yet started Reasons named were the ongoing progress of the Park Management Planning and systemic problems like a lack of capacity due to the wrong selection of participants4 and a suboptimal selection of products Because of similar experiences with previous projects, public staleholders expressed the fear that also this time ‘nothing will happen again’ Lessons Learnt  Workshops must be followed up on their outcomes/ after-effects with participants Next Steps  Implementation can be envisaged and stakeholders should be actively involved  Further awareness raising on the importance of the value chain  Budget needs to be secured It was mentioned that major problems in such projects are that identified stakeholders are often village heads and they will select their family members who are maybe not capable to carry out the approach Another issue is that all projects tend to select the same people, who not share their knowledge with others 17 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013)  (Provincial and donor support for specific basic private sector needs referring e.g to infrastructure or creation of incentives for start-up small-scale businesses/ tourism entrepreneurs Documentation Date 01 2012 12.2011 Document Report on the Value Chain Analysis for the PNKB NP Region workshop Strategy Document Author/Editor Truong Si Hong Chau Language English English and Vietnamese 2.6.2 Souvenir Vendors in Phong Nha – Connecting Local Producers with Local Vendors GIZ Souvenir vendors Phong Nha Local Producers AEPD Major Outcomes  Handicrafts from AEPD-supported cooperatives/individuals in Quang Binh were selected for sale with pilot vendor in Phong Nha  Selected handicrafts from Bao La village in Hue Province were brought to the pilot vendor for sale  ‘Make-over’ of souvenir stall presentation  Information material was produced for the vendor  Evening training for souvenir vendors from 14.5-16.5 and 31.5 between 20-40 participants on the first three days, 13 participants later, last one held with AEPD Major Weaknesses/ Difficulties  Although souvenir vendors showed strong interest in the sales of local produce, they undertook little initiative so far to contact the AEPD for any produce  Changes made during the ´make-over´ did not last for long Although feedback on the first day was positive on the looks, the two pilot vendors thought the changes to not be very practical and too time-consuming for set up  Difficult to trigger change in selling behaviors e.g with international visitors Lessons Learnt  Start change slowly and only with a very selected number of souvenir vendors: if one sources one specific product and it sells well, all vendors are more likely to follow 18 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013)  Behavioral change in sales (e.g with international visitors) should be made on the spot, rather than in the classroom environment  Activities should have started in the early summer in order to better test how local produce hits the market Next Steps  A study trip with ethnic minority groups from Minh Hoa who recently were supported by the Project in producing handicrafts will be made to Phong Nha in order to connect sellers and producers directly, to extend the range of products currently available for sale, to promote local produce and to thereby also strengthen alternative income sources for ethnic minority people  A follow-up plan for the coming tourist season needs to be prepared to follow up on past activities Documentation Date 07.2013 Document Souvenir Vendor Training – Summary June/July 2013 08.2012 A Draft Plan for Marketing Local Handicrafts made in Phong Nha - Ke Bang Lao Souvenir Brief & Initial ideas for souvenir development for Phong Nha – Ke Bang region Brief on Field Visits for Souvenir Development in Thuong Hoa, Trong Hoa and Dan Hoa communes, Minh Hoa district 05 2012 06.2012 Author/Editor Anna Huebner/ Truong Si Hong Chau Anna Huebner Language English Anna Huebner English Anna Huebner English English Handicraft cooperative in Quang Trach; souvenir vendor Mrs Thuy Bao La village handicrafts; vendors during the evening training 19 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) 2.6.3 Internal Activities Conference and Training Participation Date Title/ Theme Organizer 23.-26.6.2013 Engaging Communities in Sustainable Tourism Development, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Advancing Sustainable Tourism in Asia Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand BEST EN Think Tank 5./6.11.2012 2.11.2012 Annual Conference on Responsible Tourism 2012, Hoi An 25.7.2012 Workshop on Responsible Tourism, Hanoi Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism (UNEP), Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Environment MoCST, VNAT, ESRT VNCSD, DoNC, GIZ Hanoi Project Participants Anna Huebner Anna Huebner Truong Si Hong Chau, Anna Huebner Truong Si Hong Chau, Anna Huebner Other Documentation Date 08.2013 23.-26.6.2013 05.2013 05.2013 5./6.11.2012 Document Good governance and tourism development in protected areas: The case of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, Central Viet Nam (submitted to a protected area journal) Presentation on ‘The Politics of Community-based Tourism Planning in the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park Region, Vietnam’ Leaflet “Sustainable Tourism in PNKB NP Region” Photobook “Wonders of Nature” Quang Binh Province Presentation on ‘Planning for the Long-Term : GIZ Experience in Sustainable Tourism Development : Introduction to Payment for Ecosystem Services (PFES) in PNKB, Vietnam’ Author/Editor Anna Huebner, Ly Tuan Phong, Truong Si Hong Chau, Anna Huebner, Truong Si Hong Chau Anna Huebner, Truong Si Hong Chau Li Migura, Anna Huebner Manuel Junck, Anna Huebner Language English English English and Vietnamese English and Vietnamese English 20 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) 2.7 Ongoing Activities/ Phasing Out Activities Thematic Area What Notes Challenges Park Advisory Tourism Activity Manual Information provided may not be comprehensive Promotion/ Marketing Design and printing of a Visitor Map for Phong Nha – Ke Bang Updating of the Visitor Guidebook Future of the Visitor Guidebook and the Visitor Map still needs to be determined Continuous support for Tourism Centre Tourism Center Information Training On-going in October/November: the compilation of information manual for any tourism businesses currently operating or wishing to operate in the Park Revision of cave panels Printing in collaboration with the ADB GMS STD for 6000 copies (3000 VN and 3000 EN) in the end of November A meeting with relevant stakeholders is likely to discuss about responsibilities and funding 13-15th of November, in collaboration with the EUfunded ESRT Project and the Park Commune meeting in October to present results and discuss about future; Brief report on initiative taken for enhancing product diversity with souvenir vendors in PN (field trip with handicraft producers to Phong Nha and Dong Hoi) Once a month meetings will be held until December Activities must followup, e.g interpretation/ information room must be made available Seasonal challenges, follow-up activities mustbe planned for the coming touristic season Capacity Building CbT (and Handicraft Development) in Trong Hóa and Dan Hóa Summary of first initiatives and follow-up activities, support of the buffer zone development team linking ethnic minority produce with local vendors Hospitality Hotel Club Phong Nha and small activities according to their expressed wishes Continuation and copyright hand-over for a potential 2nd edition Institutional capacities Will meetings be kept up by the members without external initiative? 21 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) Final Remarks 3.1 Future Needs The management of protected areas has to deal with a wide range of challenges, amongst these, a growing array of social, political and economic expectations In this regard, protected areas are increasingly expected to serve as a natural income producing resource via the exploitation of recreational and touristic activities While tourism is often considered a viable option for generating income which benefits the conservation of a protected area, there are many cases in which insufficient and opaque planning hinder sustainable development, thereby reducing local benefit sharing and, ultimately, nature conservation Tourism development in the PNKB Region is, undoubtedly, on the rise However, developments are largely marked by a rise in visitor numbers rather than by clear-cut sustainable development which considers the rise of tourism expenditures through higher yield and through increased local spending and benefit-sharing Tourism is a daily challenge Its development involves a great variety of actors, public and private, it spans over a variety of sectors (refer supply chain) and it is underlain by many internal and external factors that might not be visible at first sight The daily work surrounding sustainable tourism development has taught us a lot With this document we hope to have summarized most of the activities which have taken place in the scope of the tourism component during Phase II of the PNKB Region Project There are many things which have not turned out to be successful, but there are also cases in which lessons have been learnt and real, viable outputs been made More work is needed in a variety of areas The following are only a minor excerpt (also mentioned in the STDP):  The GIZ should have more involved in the operational management oft the Rustic Chay Lap Homestay Despite mentionings in the STDP, involvement has been very little This is very regrettable (indeed although involvement does not neccessarily follows success) and it is hoped that an agreeable solution, particularly for the local people can be found on the future operations  Repeatedly, stakeholders have mentioned the need for upgrading the market in Phong Nha  There is urgent need to better control visitation within the National Park There are no detailed and reliable tourism statistics available and visitors seemed to be stopped arbitrarily at the border gate Likewise, the recreational value of the Park for locals is not known to date 22 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013)  There is need for transparent and coordinated visitor management, including facilitation of Park guidelines for tourism business currently operating or wanting to operate inside the Park These are only few of the issues which can and should be taken forward, ideally, with the initiative of the Park itself 23 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) 3.2 Why Phasing Out Sustainable Tourism Development? After years of work, the tourism component is being phased out after the Phase II of technical cooperation of the PNKB Region Project The decision was largely based on the Project Review Mission conducted in early 2013 This followed a slight change of strategic direction of intervention areas, focusing also on biodiversity monitoring and transboundary collaboration for the 3rd Phase which has started in October 2013 Selected tourism activities like Community-based Tourism are however still under consideration The fast growing tourism industry, the continuous pressures posed on the PNKB NP by illegal wildlife trade and logging, high poverty rates and unsustainable livelihoods existing in the buffer zone yet demand for appropriate management and integration of local populations into tourism Though the public sector driven STDP has not yet come to practical life, the regulatory role of government for tourism remains and needs to be considered along with support to practical economically attractive modalities of creating greater benefits for local people from the tourism industry, while safeguarding biodiversity concerns The Project supported the development of a number of tourism products within the buffer zone to support the integration of local livelihood activities into sustainable tourism activities The general situation can be characterized by an unclear role play of the public versus the private sector, while the public sector performs a regulatory and a business execution function Considering the fast growth of tourism in the Park with very little benefits arriving at local people the Project has supported the NP and local communes in the buffer zone in improving the integration of local livelihood activities into sustainable tourism activities The tourism component of the Project focused on product development, including the identification of potential tourism activities in the PNKB NP region (with particular attention on community-oriented products), the marketing of these products and the setting up of private-public partnerships (PPP’s) So far, PPPs have not emerged Another focus has been on improving the quality of existing tourism service standards through capacity building measures, network strengthening among tourism value chain actors and conservation awareness raising The results of those activities are not yet clearly measurable Though some 2000 jobs were created directly through the growing tourist industry, many of these are only part time and cannot be attributed to Project performance The general situation can be characterized by an unclear and non-defined role play of the public versus the private sector, while the public sector performs both functions: the regulatory function and the business execution function The private sector is interested to avoid as far as possible regulations of the public 24 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) sector and uses parts of their profits to maintain a situation, in which disturbances or interferences of the public sector are felt minimal (rf Project Progress Review Report) The Project Progress Review Mission carried out in early 2013 found that both specific indicators for tourism development support have not been fulfilled and that other thematic areas than sustainable tourism development have become of a more imminent issue for buffer zone and park planning 25 Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) Bibliography GIZ (2011) Sustainable tourism development in PNKB National Park Region Strategy document of the GIZ Tourism Component PNKB National Park Region Project Helmrich, H (2012) Project Progress Review Report PNKB Quang Binh Piechotta, J (2012) Institutional Strengthening and Value Chain Analysis for the Tourism Sector Part of the Phase II Project Outcome Reporting STDP (2010) Sustainable tourism development plan 2012_2020 in the PNKB NP Region Prepared by Tourism Resource Consultants, in collaboration with the KfW, the GIZ and the PPC of the Quangh Binh Province 26 ... Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) 3.2 Why Phasing Out Sustainable Tourism Development? After years of work, the tourism component is being phased out after the Phase II. .. Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) Documentation Date 8.2013 Document Tourism Centre Phong Nha – Leaflet promoting the sites /tourism routes offered by the Tourism. .. Out Sustainable Tourism Development? 24 Bibliography 26 ii Sustainable Tourism Development – Activity Summary (10/2010-09/2013) Introduction – Why Sustainable Tourism Development?