Dong Nai: Accelerating third ecotourism development plan

Tran Van Binh, Deputy Director of Cat Tien National Park (NP), said on March 14 that the park is working with consulting units to conduct a forest inventory and assess current forest conditions as part of the Ecotourism, Resort and Recreation Development Plan for the 2025–2030 period, which was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment at the end of 2025.

Tourists visit Cat Tien National Park (Nam Cat Tien commune, Dong Nai province). Photo: Ngoc Lien

This undertaking is the third ecotourism proposal in Dong Nai to be approved and implemented following regulatory procedures, ensuring compliance with regulations to serve as a basis for carrying out steps before signing forest environment lease contracts (previously, similar plans for the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve and the Tan Phu Protection Forest Management Board had been endorsed by the Provincial People's Committee).

According to Tran Van Binh, the ecotourism project could open up many avenues for tapping the potential of forest ecotourism. It would also promote the conservation and effective, sustainable management and use of natural, cultural, and historical resources, while helping improve the livelihoods of residents in the park’s buffer zone. The project is expected to create jobs, raise incomes, and stabilize and improve the material and spiritual well-being of ethnic minority communities, buffer-zone residents, and forest workers, thereby contributing to local socio-economic development.

Bau Sau area, Cat Tien National Park. Photo: Courtesy of Cat Tien NP

The Ecotourism Project aims to conserve natural resources, biodiversity, and protect the environment; preserve and promote traditional cultural and historical values, scenic spots, and indigenous knowledge of local communities; while mobilizing social resources to develop tourism services and increasing revenue to reinvest effectively in the Sustainable Forest Management, Conservation, and Development Plan of Cat Tien NP, 2021-2030 period.

The ecotourism development plan covers more than 2,000 hectares and includes 19 designated ecotourism, resort, and recreational sites. It also proposes developing 15 ecotourism routes along existing forest patrol roads and trails, totaling about 142 kilometers. Total investment for the project is estimated at more than VND 1.1 trillion. Once fully operational, the tourism network is expected to welcome over 500,000 visitors annually and create employment opportunities for more than 500 local laborers.

Cat Tien NP covers more than 71,000 hectares and is surrounded by more than 80 kilometers of the Dong Nai River. The park is home to rich biodiversity, including approximately 1,730 animal species and 1,655 plant species, making it an important ecosystem for biodiversity conservation.

The NP has received multiple international recognitions. In 2001, it was designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. In 2005, the Bau Sau wetland area was recognized as a Ramsar site of international importance by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat. In 2012, the Government classified the park as a special national relic site. In 2024, the park was officially included in the Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Continuing the chain of achievements, in 2025, Cat Tien NP was awarded 4 international ecotourism awards (AEN-IEA 2025) by the Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN), in the categories of Biodiversity Conservation, Ecotourism Promotion, Destination Governance, and Community Champion.

In 2025, the national park welcomed 160,000 visitors for accommodation, sightseeing, and exploration of the park's resources and unique biodiversity, generating more than VND 24 billion in tourism revenue.

By Ngoc Lien – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho