Lao Cai: Hoang Lien National Park - Sustainable ecotourism development

Hoang Lien National Park (Lao Cai province) is currently an eco-tourism destination attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. Tourism development in parallel with preserving and protecting biodiversity ecosystems is being implemented by Hoang Lien National Park.

Potential "treasure"

Hoang Lien National Park is ranked A by the Global Environment Fund, the highest level in terms of biodiversity value of Vietnam. Over 20 years of establishment and development, ecotourism in Hoang Lien National Park has affirmed its position and role in the promotion and promotion of tourism in Sapa town, becoming a unique tourism product of the locality. Currently, Hoang Lien National Park is an attractive eco-tourism destination with attractions such as Fansipan peak, Golden stream - Love waterfall, Dragon pool - Tien well, ancient forest, heritage tree complex, Nam Kang Ho Tao peak...

At the beginning of its operation, tourism development in Hoang Lien National Park faced difficulties and did not attract many tourists due to incomplete and synchronous infrastructure and lack of investment resources. Over time, with the available potential and the right tourism development strategy, ecotourism in Hoang Lien National Park has thrived. In particular, the period 2013 - 2015 is a time of prosperity for ecotourism development in Hoang Lien National Park.

However, when the Fansipan cable car went into operation, most guests chose to conquer the roof of Indochina by cable car system, the number of visitors experiencing the climbing service in Hoang Lien National Park decreased sharply. In particular, when the economy was affected by the global Covid-19 pandemic, the number of tourists coming to Sapa and visiting Hoang Lien National Park decreased. By the beginning of 2022, ecotourism in Hoang Lien National Park has shown signs of prosperity again. Since the beginning of 2023, it has also attracted nearly 6,000 visitors.

Representing the delegation in the recent climbing trip to conquer Fansipan peak, Mr. Hoang Viet Dung (Da Nang), confided: Our group all have passion for climbing. We have explored many different peaks in Vietnam but climbing Fansipan mountain is very enjoyable experience. During the journey, we can see that the nature here is preserved, strictly protected, wild and majestic. The guides always remind us about not littering, not cutting down trees, the use of fire is also strictly controlled to avoid causing forest fires.

In some communes near Hoang Lien National Park, commercial activities and tourism services thrive. Many households have built guest houses to welcome tourists, and at the same time develop porter, guide, and voiceover services, etc., contributing to improving socio-economic life, people's awareness in the area about environmental protection and ecotourism development.

Mining tied to protection

In order to improve visitor satisfaction, Hoang Lien National Park continues to promote the potential and strengths of ecotourism within the framework of cooperation between Lao Cai province and Nouvelle Aquitaine region (France). Test and survey programs on new tourist routes have been proposed and submitted to Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee for permission to study and build waterfall climbing adventure sports tourism and waterfall sliding tourism model (canyoning) at the tourist destination of Vang Stream - Love waterfall. The equipment installation, instructor training and pilot operation were successful. When officially put into operation, this will be the first water sport model in the North of our country. Along with adventure sports tourism model climbing waterfall, sliding waterfall, air travel model,

With a large and specific ecosystem, the development of ecotourism will affect the high biodiversity and the main habitat of many species of plants and animals. Exploiting tourism, but preserving, preserving and promoting it is one of the tasks concerned by tourism operators and localities.

The Center for Environmental Education and Environmental Services (Hoang Lien National Park) has coordinated with professional agencies to organize training courses on environmental issues for tour guides and porters to serve tourists, students and people from communes and wards in Sa Pa town. Every year, people in core and buffer zone communes participate in propaganda conferences on various environmental protection topics such as climate change, environmental pollution, water and water use, waste and waste treatment, rural environmental sanitation, landscape and mountainous environment...

"The garden's biggest task is the conservation and protection of biodiversity, so tourism development must ensure that it does not affect the ecological environment; The center always places environmental education as a base, as an important premise for the development of tourism and services. Only when the environment is preserved can tourism develop sustainably."  Mr. Nguyen Van Chinh, Director of the Center for Environmental Education and Environmental Services (Hoang Lien National Park).

*Thuy Phuong - Ngoc Anh
Lao Cai electronic newspaper - baolaocai.vn 
Key word: #Lao Cai, #Hoang Lien National Park, #tourism development, #Ecotourism,