Preserving forests for sustainable community tourism development.

Nestled amidst the limestone slopes of Pà Cò commune, Phú Thọ province, the Hmong community has for many years preserved pristine forests as a "green lung" for their village, viewing this as the foundation for environmental conservation and sustainable community tourism development.

Preserving forests is essential for developing sustainable community-based tourism .

The Kha A Lu family was the first household entrusted with managing hundreds of hectares of primeval forest behind their house. Upon receiving the forest, he proactively encouraged villagers not to cut down trees, while simultaneously seeking livelihood opportunities from this resource. Following a suggestion from officials of the Hang Kia – Pa Co Nature Reserve, Mr. and Mrs. Lu decided to develop ecotourism, building a trekking route through the forest featuring rare tree species such as orchids, ancient rhododendrons, and Pa Co pines…

Thanks to community efforts, the hundreds of hectares of limestone forest on the summit of Pà Cò – which had been encroached upon for many years – have been restored and are strictly protected. Local people cooperate with forest rangers in patrolling, preventing deforestation, and raising awareness of conservation in accordance with the State's policy of assigning forest land to individual households.

The Hang Kia – Pà Cò Nature Reserve currently manages over 5,300 hectares of forest with a diverse ecosystem: 283 species of vertebrates and 963 species of plants belonging to 165 families, including 313 rare species, comprising 60 species listed in the Vietnam Red Book and 243 species in the IUCN Red List. As an unspoiled area, Pà Cò retains its pristine landscape and the unique identity of the Hmong community.

Thanks to sustainable forest conservation, community-based tourism in Pà Cò is developing significantly. Every month, the ecotourism site of Mr. Khà A Lứ's family welcomes hundreds of domestic and international visitors who come to explore, experience, and learn about the local people's stories of forest preservation. This is considered a model worth emulating by other localities.

Source: https://quangngaitv.vn/giu-rung-de-phat-trien-du-lich-cong-dong-ben-vung-6511637.html