Some parts of mangrove forests developed into eco-tourism destinations (Photo: www.khanhhoa.gov.vn)

(VOVworld) - Tourists are flocking to the mangrove forests on the outskirts of Nha Trang City in Khanh Hoa Province. Mangrove forest tourism puts visitors in close contact with nature and encourages the locals to restore and protect their environment.

The mangrove forest in Ninh Ich commune is located close to Highway 1A where 20 households subsist on shrimp farming. Before 1975, ancient mangroves as much as 15 meters high covered hundreds of hectares here. In 1995, local residents cleared the mangrove forests for land to raise shrimps, seriously degrading the environment. Four years ago, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, a Japanese non-governmental organization, cooperated with Hanoi’s Education University to help Ninh Ich commune plant 5 ha of mangroves. The commune called on residents to grow and protect an additional 10 ha, eventually expanding the area to 40 ha. In the past 3 years, the mangrove forests have attracted dozens of storks, a sign that the ecosystem is reviving.

The restoration of the mangrove forests has opened up new business opportunities, particularly in eco-tourism. Two years ago Nguyen Van Hung of Vinh Thai commune in Nha Trang City became the first person to organize tours in the mangrove forests. He says ‘I think developing eco-tourism is a way to keep forests green. Community tourism development also contributes to making the environment better’.

Mangrove forest tourism is popular with eco-tourists. And the resources the mangrove ecosystem offers can provide livelihoods for local communities. But to date, mangrove forest tourism has not really taken off, even in Khanh Hoa, which is famous for its tourism development. Mai Van Thang, Deputy Director of the provincial Natural Resources and Environment Department, says ‘Mangrove forests have not been fully tapped for tourism development because they’re been overlooked. We have only recognized the beauty of our seas and islands’.

Since 1995, the area of mangrove forests in Vietnam has shrunk to 184,000 ha. In Khanh Hoa where mangrove forests used to thrive in the 1980s, there are now only 100 ha left. It will take community involvement to restore the forests for eco-tourism development. Mr. Thang notes ‘We hope that in the future, investors will realize the potential of the mangrove forests for tourism development and direct more money there’.