HCMC – Con Dao National Park in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province will lease 888.23 hectares of forest land by 2030 to develop ecotourism projects, with the rent not lower than 1% of the annual revenue earned by the lessee, in line with the provincial government’s Decision 1668 approving a scheme to manage the national park in a sustainable manner until 2030.
The area offered for the lease, which accounts for some 15% of the park’s total area preserved for ecotourism development, includes some 720 hectares from the park’s service administrative zone, while the rest is from the ecosystem restoration zone.
The maximum lease term is 30 years. After that, if the lessee wishes to extend the lease, the lessor will consider the extension upon reviewing the lease contract every five years.
Through the lease, the southern province aims to develop scores of ecotourism products in Con Dao island in keeping with national and international standards.
According to the scheme, while developing ecotourism in the province is a crucial move to raise the economic benefits, the original state of the ecosystem and the landscape of the park must remain unchanged.
The resolve of the province not to trade the pristine beauty of the park for economic gains is a major criterion while selecting investors that can develop environmentally-responsible tourism products.
There will be an estimated 17 ecotourism routes, with a wide selection of tourism products at the park, such as sports tourism, nature discovery, and wildlife watching and rescuing.
Con Dao island has emerged as an attractive destination over the past few years. In 2019, the island welcomed some 394,000 tourists, up over 31% year-on-year. Travelers now can visit Con Dao by air or ship departing from Vung Tau City, Soc Trang and Can Tho. The island is expected to serve some 500,000-700,000 tourists per year until 2030.
By Dao Loan
