On December 10, 2025, at Cuc Phuong National Park, the Ninh Binh Department of Tourism, in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the People’s Committee of Cuc Phuong Commune, and the Management Board of Cuc Phuong National Park, organized the international conference on “Ecotourism Development and National Cultural Identity at Cuc Phuong National Park.” The event is a key activity within the proposed ODA project funded by the Korean Government, aiming to promote a sustainable ecotourism model that harmonizes nature conservation with improving local livelihoods.
Conference Overview
The conference was attended by Mr. You Hyun Jang – Director General of the International Cooperation Department of KTO and Head of the KTO Expert Delegation; Ms. Pil Kim – Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department of KTO; along with speakers Prof. Dr. Kim Nam Joo (Hanyang University), Dr. Kim Hyun Jung (Korea Convergence Tourism Institute), and expert Jae Hun Shin (Korea Tourism Development Institute).
Representing Ninh Binh Province were Dr. Bui Van Manh – Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Department of Tourism; Mr. Nguyen Van Chinh – Director of Cuc Phuong National Park; the Tourism Promotion Information Center; leaders of the People’s Committee of Cuc Phuong Commune; representatives of the Muong ethnic community in the buffer zone; and numerous officials, experts, and relevant units.
Dr. Bui Van Manh Delivers Opening Remarks
In his opening speech, Dr. Bui Van Manh emphasized that Ninh Binh possesses outstanding natural, ecological, and cultural tourism resources. Cuc Phuong National Park – Vietnam’s first national park – holds a particularly important position. Recognized for six consecutive years as “Asia’s Leading National Park,” Cuc Phuong not only serves as the “green lung” of the region but also preserves rare biodiversity and represents the long-standing cultural space of the Muong ethnic community.
However, Cuc Phuong is currently facing several challenges, including pressure from buffer-zone populations, livelihoods dependent on forest resources, impacts of mass tourism, and the limited integration of tourism development with local community benefits. For this reason, the proposed ODA project, “Promoting Ecotourism and National Cultural Identity at Cuc Phuong National Park,” with a total budget of over USD 3.45 million, is considered essential in shifting the tourism management model—from prioritizing visitor numbers to focusing on quality, high value, and low environmental impact.
Insights from Korean Experts
During the conference, Korean experts shared numerous strategies and international best practices related to ecotourism development, community-based cooperation models, sustainable tourism governance, specialized tourism products (such as primate-tracking, conservation education, and ethnic cultural tourism), and mechanisms for transparent revenue reinvestment into conservation efforts. Several successful case studies from Korea and other Asian countries were analyzed, offering valuable insights for Cuc Phuong.
Beyond conservation strategies, the conference placed particular emphasis on the role of the Muong community, which accounts for nearly 80% of the buffer-zone population. Under the project’s orientation, local residents will be supported in establishing a community-based tourism cooperative, receiving professional training, developing cultural tourism products (cuisine, handicrafts, folk performances, traditional stilt houses), and participating in value-chain linkages with the National Park and tourism enterprises. This approach ensures that local people directly benefit from tourism while contributing to forest protection and the preservation of cultural identity.