A view of Bình Châu-Phước Bửu Nature Reserve in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province’s Xuyên Mộc District. — VNS Photo Huỳnh Sơn

HCM CITY — The southern coastal province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu has approved a project for eco-tourism, resorts and entertainment at the province’s protected forests from now until 2030 and a project for eco-tourism, resorts and entertainment at Bình Châu-Phước Bửu Nature Reserve in the province’s Xuyên Mộc District.

More than 6,500 hectares of protected forests can be rented out for developing eco-tourism, resorts and entertainment services, said Nguyễn Duy Bắc, director of the Management Board of Protected Forests in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province.

The management board will coordinate with investors to build tourist routes in Dinh Mountain in Phú Mỹ Commune, Nứa Mountain in Long Sơn Commune, Sao Mountain in Xuân Sơn Commune, Minh Đạm Mountain in Đất Đỏ Commune, Phước Hội regenerated forest in Đất Đỏ District, Phước Thuận Commune’s protected forest, and Long Sơn Commune’s mangrove forest.

Walking routes leading to forests, stop stations, observation sites and other facilities for visitors to explore the forest nature will also be built, he said.

For years, the province has set aside funds for forest protection, regeneration and development activities, resulting in strict protection of natural forest and development of diversified ecosystems.

Nguyễn Công Vinh, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the approved project for eco-tourism, resorts and entertainment from now until 2030 will bolster environmentally friendly tourism.

With its diverse forest and sea resources, historical relics at Dinh and Minh Đạm mountains, and the Bình Châu-Phước Bửu Nature Reserve, the province has become increasingly popular to domestic and foreign tourists, Vinh said.

Tourism development has generated jobs for locals and income for forest owners as well as boosted the province’s socio-economic development, he said.

Phạm Thị Na, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said forest owners need to take a proactive role in reviewing, planning and developing eco-tourism development projects while protecting the diversity and nature of protected and special-use forests and forest conservation.

Forest owners need to build eco-tourism routes and destinations to explore natural landscapes and still ensure the sustainable development of natural ecosystems.

Biodiversity conservation in the province has been implemented well over the past year, according to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

However, environmentally friendly economic development and forest educational research have yet to be sufficiently invested in and effectively exploited.

Nguyễn Đăng Quan, deputy director of the Bình Châu-Phước Bửu Nature Reserve Management Board, said nine projects related to eco-tourism, resorts and entertainment are operating at the Bình Châu- Phước Bửu Nature Reserve.

Annual forest environment tax payments from these projects reached nearly VNĐ560 million (US$24,000).

The board set a target of raising the annual revenue of forest environmental services to VNĐ6 billion ($257,000) by 2030.

To fulfil this target, it called for investors to cooperate and establish a joint venture to rent the forest environment for eco-tourism.

Projects to build tourist infrastructure and entertainment sites and develop environmentally friendly tourism products have been given priority, he said.

Trịnh Hàng, director of the provincial Department of Tourism, said the province has huge potential for developing eco-tourism thanks to its forests, mangroves, Ramsar sites and sea.

The Department of Tourism in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development plan to implement the project on eco-tourism at the province’s protected forests to create more tourism products suitable to the natural conditions of each locality without affecting the ecological environment.

The Department of Tourism asked the province’s Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Centre and travel firms to build up new eco-tourism routes. — VNS