Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark in Ha Giang province welcomed 140,000 tourists in the first three months of 2013. Compared with 302,000 tourists in 2011 and 400,000 tourists in 2012, the geopark has become an increasingly attractive destination for domestic and international tourists.
The Management Board of Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark has recently set up information centres in four rock plateau districts of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac. The four information centres managed by the board are responsible for instructing, introducing, and providing information about the geopark for tourists wishing to explore and study the park. Besides, these facilities will test demands for new tourism products like homestay, discovery and accommodation services.
Dr Nguyen Le Huy, Director of the Management Board of Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark, said the establishment of the four information centres is essential for the sustainable tourism development strategy in the 2012 - 2020 phase adopted by the governing People's Committee of Ha Giang province. The board will open many classes to provide knowledge, methods and skills for community communicators to support domestic and foreign tourists when they visit the geopark.
Besides, to realise tourism development strategy towards 2030 in line with Vietnam's tourism development strategy, and to make the Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark a national tourist attraction, the Management Board has made every effort to promote its roles in developing the Dong Van Geopark, enforce circulars and decrees of central and local authorities to raise public awareness and uphold and preserve heritage values. The board has actively participated in activities organised by the Asia Pacific Geoparks Network.
In response to expert recommendations from the Global Geoparks Network, the Management Board of Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark has issued Plan 01/KH-BCD with specific objectives as follows: protecting the originality of indigenous traditional architecture by documenting many records for the recognition of intangible and tangible cultural heritages and building cultural tourism villages in association with new countryside construction; facilitating the travel of tourists by simplifying cross-border administrative procedures for tourists visiting Ha Giang City and the 4 rock plateau districts; closely managing construction material exploitation sites within the geopark and adjusting quarry exploitation plans to protect the geopark; and building effective and sustainable tourism development strategies for Ha Giang province in general and for the geopark in particular. In addition, Ha Giang province has also organised training courses for communicators who are currently village chiefs, local organisation officers and teachers, to enhance the transmission of knowledge about the geopark in the local tongue.
In the 2013 - 2014 period, Ha Giang province will focus on coordinating with central authorities and branches to survey and complete three detailed urban centre plans; building and developing the geopark into the national tourist site; and conserving geological and cultural heritage values. The province will continue investing in infrastructure system construction, especially National Road 4C, and boosting advertisement campaigns and personnel training for the sustainable development of the geopark. To achieve these objectives, Ha Giang expects UNESCO Vietnam will continue acting as a bridge for Ha Giang with the Global Geoparks Network, attract prestigious international investors to study and invest in the geopark, and support the province to intensify advertisement and the introduction of local images to territories and countries around the world. The province believes sustainable tourism development will help reduce poverty and raise living standards for the 17 local peoples living within the geopark.
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