Ecotourism planning and destination management in vietnam

Abstract Ecotourism is an important component of sustainable tourism. More and more countries consider ecotourism as one of their national socio-economic development goals. In addition to helping preserve ecosystems and biodiversity, ecotourism also contributes to creating jobs and income for people and boosting the local economy. In Vietnam, there are not many policies for ecotourism development, which in the long run leads to fragmentation and lack of uniformity. This research will focus on understanding the role of ecotourism in protecting the environment and local communities. By analyzing secondary data on countries' experiences in developing ecotourism, including: Serengeti National Park (Tanzania), Galapagos National Park (Ecuador), The Toledo Ecotourism Association (Belize), Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park (Laos) and The Kapawi Ecolodge (Ecuador), research results found values that Vietnam can learn their efforts to develop ecotourism. Thereby, providing some management implications for the Government of Vietnam in maintaining and developing sustainable national ecotourism. Keywords: ecotourism, ecosystem, environment, local community, sustainable tourism. JEL Classification: F64, Q01, Z32. Received: 22 nd January 2024; Revised: 28 th February 2024; Accepted: 20 th March 2024 1. INTRODUCTION According to Population Reference Bureau, ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that protects the integrity of the ecosystem and generates economic benefits for local communities in encouraging conservation. In the connection between population and environment, ecotourism is an innovative way to combine the goals of ecological conservation and economic development. Ecotourism has an extremely positive impact on the community, it helps reduce pressure on the environment and limits the exploitation of natural resources for tourism. Ecotourism has come to the fore as a form of tourism that can minimize the physical, social and cultural damage of tourism to the environment (Yildirim & Tekeli, 2023). Ecotourism focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, landscapes, flora, fauna and habitats, as well as indigenous cultural artifacts. Ecotourism helps community development by providing alternative sources of livelihood for local communities that are more sustainable. According to the United Nations Environment Program, ecotourism takes place in natural environments rooted in three basic principles: conservation, community and education. Three basic principles in ecotourism Ecotourism not only contributes to local economic development but also encourages the preservation of traditional values and natural landscapes (Özcan et al., 2009). Countries around the world pay more attention and have policies to develop ecotourism. According to Traveloka, the Top 10 ecotourism destinations in the world include: Komodo National Park, Way Kambas National Park and Raja Ampat (Indonesia), Serengeti National Park (Tanzania), Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Gunung Mulu National Park (Malaysia), Jeju Island National Park (South Korea), Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), The Himalayas (Nepal), Kinabalu National Park (Malaysia). On the other hand, ecotourism is often combined with other types of outdoor activities and other types of cultural and recreational tourism (Amanda et al., 2019). Estimates by the World Travel and Tourism Council show that ecotourism is growing at a rate of 10-15% per year. Recent research by Donohoe & Needham (2006) shows that the following factors influence ecotourism development: (1) nature-based, (2) preservation/conservation, (3) education, (4) sustainability, (5) distribution of benefits and (6) ethics/responsibility/awareness. Conservation approach in ecotourism can be divided into four steps: Setting priorities, Developing strategies, Taking action and Measuring success. Four steps conservation approach in ecotourism