Research issue of sharing benefits from ecotourism activitives in tam dao national park

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF FORESTRY STUDENT THESIS RESEARCH ISSUE OF SHARING BENEFITS FROM ECOTOURISM ACTIVITIVES IN TAM DAO NATIONAL PARK Major: Natural Resources Management Faculty: Forest Resources and Environmental Management Student: Nguyen Ba Ninh ID: 1354032644 Class: K58A Natural Resources Management Course: 2013 - 2017 Advanced Education Program Developed in collaboration with Colorado State University, USA Supervisor: Dr Ngo Duy Bach HaNoi, 09/2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS i LIST OF TABLES iii LIST OF FIGURES iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v ABSTRACT CHAPTER I : LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 The concept of ecotourism 1.2 Features and some basic principles of eco-tourism 1.2.1 Features of eco-tourism 1.2.2 Some basic principles of eco-tourism 1.3 The relationship between ecotourism and national park 1.3.1 Major relationships 1.3.2 The benefits of eco-tourism can be attributed to the national park 1.3.3 Negative impacts may arise from eco-tourism to national parks 1.4 The relationship between ecotourism and local communities 1.4.1 Positive influences 1.4.2 Negative influences 1.5 The status of ecotourism in Vietnam CHAPTER II: INTRODUCES 2.1.Biological resources 2.2.Other conditions 11 CHAPTER III: METHODS AND PROCESS OF RESEARCH 12 3.1 Methods 12 3.1.1 Survey method 12 3.1.2.Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) 13 i 3.2 Process of research 14 3.2.1 The process of collecting secondary materials 14 3.2.2.Process of research 15 CHAPTER IV : RESEARCH RESULTS 18 4.1 Overview of respondents 18 4.2.Status of ecotourism activities in Tam Dao National Park 19 4.2.1.The development of ecotourism in Tam Dao National Park 19 4.2.2.The benefits of eco-tourism to local communities 20 4.2.3.The attitude of the national park and the local community on the benefits sharing from ecotourism 25 4.2.4.Factors limiting benefit sharing in national parks and local communities 31 4.2.5.A solution for the issue of sharing ecotourism benefits between national parks and local communities 32 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS 34 CHAPTER VI : DISCUSSION 36 CHAPTER VII : REFERENCES 38 ii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Biogas targets for humans Table 02: Tam Dao fauna composition 10 Table 03: Age profile of respondents 18 Table Eco-tourism revenue of Tam Dao National Park (2008-2010) 21 Table 5: Possible benefits through services - goods for tourism 23 Table 6: Survey results of community attitudes and attitudes towards tourism impact on the region 28 iii LIST OF FIGURES Firgue : Population distribution by age group 19 Figure 2: Income structure of Tam Dao National Park in 2010 21 Figure 3: Benefits of tourism activities in Tam Dao National Park to local communities 24 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The consent of Vietnam National University of Forestry, Faculty of Management of Forest Resources and Environment, Department of Environmental Management, I made thesis “Research issue of sharing benefits from ecotourism activities in Tam Dao National Park” In time to implement the project with the efforts of myself I have received a lot of help, instructions of the teachers, organizations and individuals in and outside the school I would like to sincerely thank the teacher, Dr.Ngo Duy Bach He has guided and helped me a lot in the process of implementing research topics I would like to express thanks to Tam Dao National Park management, organizations and people of Tam Dao Town, Vinh Phuc province helped me during practice Despite a lot of effort but due to lack of practical experience and professional qualifications are limited I am looking forward to receiving the comments of teachers Sincere thanks ! Hanoi, September 4th, 2018 Students v ABSTRACT National parks (NPs) and attractive natural landscapes are attracting domestic and foreign tourists It makes investors interested in using and investing in ecotourism development by the abundance of nature and the diversity of the ecosystem They are considered as the basis for ecotourism development but one of the important things to help eco-tourism develop sustainably and ensure the conservation of the park's natural resources is the human community local people The involvement of local communities in local development activities has been increasingly mentioned and considered to be an inevitable factor in the development of ecotourism Local communities live by exploiting and hunting from available forest resources Since the establishment of a national park located in or in the buffer zone, there is limited hunting and exploitation of forest resources In order to compensate for these disadvantages, many policies and projects have been developed to improve the quality of life of people Most national parks are developing tourism projects that bring benefit to local communities based on conservation objectives However, the efficiency brought about by the projects is not large and still does not support much in the development of local community economy Community involvement in the development of ecotourism is a very important factor But the fact that the participation of people in ecotourism activities is limited and passive, spontaneous One of the reasons is the issue of sharing the benefits of national parks and tourism companies with the communities living in the buffer zone Most of the profits are in the hands of individuals or travel companies, national parks have economic and level resources Tam Dao National Park is one of the national parks with great potential for ecotourism development Tam Dao National Park attracts thousands of visitors However, the issue of sharing benefits with the community is still inadequate People remain on the sidelines of eco-tourism activities in the national park In addition, the national park is considered to be a source of income from tourism for business organizations and individuals who are marginalized within the protected area of the national park CHAPTER I : LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 The concept of ecotourism Until the 1980s, this new type of tourism began to be considered In 1991, the concept of ecotourism emerged as a type of alternative tourism with great appeal Ecotourism is defined at its earliest stages as follows: "Ecotourism is a type of tourism that takes place in areas with well-preserved natural ecosystems aimed at studying, admiring, enjoying landscapes, animals and plants as well as cultural values existing "(Boo, 1991) Then there are a lot of different definitions of ecotourism that many researchers have come up with Although there are many expressions, they are generally focused on emphasizing the nature of tourism In a definition given at a conference in Canada, “Ecotourism is a natural form of tourism that contributes to preserving the ecosystem while respecting the integration of local communities.” Sustainable management factors include content that supports local socio-economic development Thus, the definition of ecotourism through a variety of definitions has emphasized that ecotourism is not simply a travel to a natural area enjoying a little passive and less It also has to be environmentally responsible, highly educated, contributing to the conservation and development of natural resources, benefiting the local community in terms of both the environment and the environment economic, cultural and social At the Ecotourism Conference in Vietnam, the concept of ecotourism is as follows: “Ecotourism is a form of nature tourism with high levels of ecological and environmental education that positively impacts on environmental and cultural protection, ensuring financial benefits to the community and contribute to conservation efforts” This definition fully covers the content and nature of ecotourism in a fundamental way with the concepts of the researchers Thereby, we find that ecotourism is considered as a type of tourism in which it includes the positive aspects of some types of tourism 1.2 Features and some basic principles of eco-tourism 1.2.1 Features of eco-tourism The characteristics of ecotourism are different from other types of tourism as follows:  Based on cultural factors - indigenous history and the attractiveness of the natural landscape  Support for conservation and ecological sustainability  Linking with environmental education in ecotourism is effective in changing the attitudes and behaviors of tourists, the community and the tourism industry in terms of conservation and resource development contributing to the sustainability of ecotourism  Support local economy, encourage the participation of local communities: Local people, environment, culture, lifestyle and traditions of local people play an important role in tourism It is an important factor to attract tourists to a tourist destination Local people should be able to meet their needs and aspirations.Eco-tourism can help to develop benefits, stimulate economic development and provide opportunities for diversification of the economy Ecotourism can become a tool to support conservation and development, but this will only become a reality "If there is a concerted effort to link the local community to ecotourism "This is also a way for people to become active members in conservation 1.2.2 Some basic principles of eco-tourism Ecotourism develops on the principles of sustainable development The principles ensured in ecotourism are not only for the planners, managers, organizers and operators of tourism, but also for guides, both local communities  Serving the needs of rest, participate in leisure, explore, learn the nature of people  Support the conservation of ecotourism resources in particular and natural resources in national parks and nature reserves in general  Support the local economy, creating more long-term economic benefits for the local community , who have ownership in development and in tourism planning This is the goal of sustainable tourism 1.3 The relationship between ecotourism and national park The need to learn from nature is increasing, which is the main driving force for tourists to eco-tourism However, there will be a great pressure on national park resources as the number of tourists is increasing 1.3.1 Major relationships The development of tourism in national parks in the conservation of natural resources has the following three main relationships:  The relationship between tourism and conservation is independent : When the new tourism activity is started, the level of resource use is not high, the relationship is often in the form of independent co-existence This means that both tourism and conservation are less related  The relationship between tourism and conservation is supportive: As the level of natural resource use increases, if tourism is well planned, managed, and consistent with the principle of sustainable tourism, this relationship will be positive relationship, mutual support together development  Supportive relationship: With this relationship, tourism creates a prerequisite for the conservation of natural resources, and vice versa, natural resources create the driving force for tourism development  Contradictory relationship: If tourism is overly developed without the concern for conservation, then this relationship will become contradictory Tourism, therefore, will appropriate management mechanism might lead to a shock to the economy or the local environment Some typical examples in Nepal, due to the increased demand for firewood by tourists, have led to rising firewood prices and led to severe deforestation According to the survey results, when asked about the benefits of ecotourism activities for Tam Dao National Park, 95% of respondents said that they had jobs to increase their income, 81%, 81% improved, 85% improved roads, only 5% of respondents that not benefit It is clear that the local community in Tam Dao National Park is actually involved in ecotourism in the area, in other words, the sharing of benefits from ecotourism in the endemic area between the local community and the national park However, the involvement of local communities in Tam Dao town is just spontaneous without the impact of many tourism managers Figure 3: Benefits of tourism activities in Tam Dao National Park to local communities Thus, it can be seen that the local community of Tam Dao National Park has enjoyed the benefits of tourism Although their activities are seasonal, they are spontaneous, so their activities are not effective Local people are not really involved in 24 tourism, planning, monitoring and organizing tourism activities in the area However, it is unacceptable that tourism has some benefit to local communities 4.2.3.The attitude of the national park and the local community on the benefits sharing from ecotourism The attitude of Tam Dao National Park and local communities on the issue of ecosystem-sharing benefits play a very important role in the conservation and development of the NP resources in general and the resources of ecotourism in particular Only when the views of the benefit sharing of the local community and the NP are truly correct, local people really benefit from ecotourism in the NP, the conservation and development of new NP resources is effective On the basis of that, it is the driving force for tourism development For that reason, this section will focus on the views and attitudes of local communities and the NP on the benefit sharing of tourism activities in the NP 4.2.3.1.The national park's perspective on benefit sharing The issue of benefiting from ecotourism in the NP is not only the sharing of economic benefits with local communities around the park but also with managers and staff guiding the park Reasonable sharing of benefits will motivate NP staff and tourism guiders to actively participate in the conservation and development of the NP resources Through the investigation process, the following remarks can be made: Tam Dao National Park: Tam Dao is the ideal tourist destination for all visitors Tam Dao tourist spot is located in Tam Dao town in the Tam Dao National Park buffer zone However, the current practice of tourism in Tam Dao National Park is managed by the Department of Tourism and Commerce and the People's Committee of Tam Dao town Therefore, the planning of tourism management in Tam Dao National Park has not been properly considered by the NP Currently, Tam Dao National Park is developing a project to develop and develop ecotourism trails in the NP Tourists and staff are paid by state budget 25 4.2.3.2.Attitudes of local communities to benefit sharing Local communities have a great influence on the conservation and development of the NP resources The views and attitudes of local communities around the NP to ecotourism play a very important role in determining their willingness to participate in tourism Only when the community really desires and is able to participate in tourism activities is their participation meaningful and effective Therefore, this section will focus on the views and attitudes of local communities around the NP, specifically the local community in Tam Dao town Ecotourism activities in the national parks have had significant impacts on local communities around the NP Ecotourism impacts on the economy of the region such as employment, income and tourism also affect the community in terms of social, lifestyle, social security, etc and in terms of the environment The communities around the NP are the ones who have to suffer these impacts Therefore, clearly defining the attitude and attitude of the community about the impact of ecotourism is an important factor in considering the involvement of local communities in the ecotourism activities of the area Survey results show that tourism has a positive impact on the socio-economic life of local communities However, the attitude of the local community is not the same With the local community in Tam Dao town, the number of respondents saying that tourism has good and good influence on local economic factors such as employment, income accounts for the highest rate> 80% The difference is that Tam Dao tourism is taking place in Tam Dao town, located in the core zone of the national park Therefore, people are more likely to participate in tourism activities in the area Among the social factors, travel factors are thought to be the most influential factor Many people said that tourism has a good influence and very good transportation to the area In particular, more than 81% of respondents said that the traffic was very good in Tam Dao National Park 26 After transportation, the electricity and water supply and health services are two factors that have improved due to tourism, suggesting that these two factors are better in Tam Dao National Park, (70% - 90%) However, a small number of respondents said that eco-tourism had a negative impact on the region's water and electricity services The opinion does not affect both factors in the park also accounted for quite high In fact, along with the development of ecotourism in the national parks, the services associated with it have also developed Lifestyle factors - customary practices, most of the respondents said that ecotourism does not affect the way of life and customs of the local: Tam Đao 50% The number of people who think they have a bad influence is very small (