ENHANCING CAPACITIES FOR TOUR GUIDES AND LOCAL GUIDES IN THE DONG NAI BIOSPHERE RESERVE

From November 6th to 15th, 2024, the CCD Center collaborated with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Vietnam Environment Fund to organize a capacity-building training course for 100 tourism officials from the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, tour operators, and local guesthouses/homestays. The training course is part of the project "Integrating natural resource management and biodiversity conservation targets into socio-economic development planning and management of biosphere reserves in Vietnam" (abbreviated as the BR project).

During the training course, participants were equipped with knowledge and skills in guiding techniques and organizing ecotourism activities, developing presentations, and other guiding activities. The training course also included field trips to various locations in Cat Tien National Park such as the Wildlife Rescue Center, Cat Tien Natural Museum, the ancient Tung tree, the Bac Dong tree, and locations in the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve such as the Southern Central Office Relic and the giant Ko-nia tree. The training course also featured the participation of special members, forest rangers who are directly connected to the forest and have many interesting stories about the fascinating connection between nature, culture, and the history of Dong Nai.

In the coming time, CCD will continue to collaborate with the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve to train and enhance the tourism capacity of relevant stakeholders to further improve guiding activities, develop ecotourism, protect natural resources, and environmental education in the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve.

The Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve was recognized in 2011 with a total area of 756.00 hectares located in five provinces, including Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Lam Dong, and Dak Nong. The biosphere reserve has two important core zones: Cat Tien National Park and Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve, with many rare flora and fauna species and is a destination for thousands of tourists each year. The Biosphere Reserve is a combination of many values, making it an attractive ecotourism destination with various wildlife observation routes and exploring natural forest ecosystems, to ecotourism, community tourism, and water tourism on the Dong Nai River and Tri An Lake, to tourism activities combined with environmental and historical education.