Gia Lai province develops ecotourism in Kon Ka Kinh and Kon Chu Rang

Gia Lai province zones over 1,500ha in Kon Ka Kinh National Park and Kon Chu Rang Reserve for ecotourism development, strictly linking it with forest protection.

The Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee has recently approved two projects on ecotourism, resort, and recreational development in Kon Ka Kinh National Park and Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve towards 2030, with a vision to 2045.

According to the orientation, tourism activities in these two special-use forests must be nature-based, linked to forest protection and biodiversity conservation, without affecting the natural ecosystems, environmental landscapes, and other functions of the forests, VietNamNet reported.

In Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Gia Lai has zoned five locations for ecotourism, resort, and recreational activities covering a total area of over 1,086 hectares, alongside 12 ecotourism routes spanning approximately 201 kilometers, connecting various natural landscape destinations.

By 2030, Kon Ka Kinh National Park aims to attract at least three investors to participate in joint ventures and associations for ecotourism development. It also plans to fundamentally complete tourism and conservation infrastructure, such as patrol roads combined with tourism, parking lots, an animal rescue center, a botanical garden, accommodation areas, and auxiliary facilities.

In Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, the province has planned five ecotourism, resort, and recreational spots with a total area of 500 hectares. The reserve is also mapped out with eight ecotourism routes extending about 190 kilometers, connecting the Administrative Service Center to various experiential sites.

Under the set targets, by 2030, Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve expects to welcome approximately 30,000 visitors, with international tourists accounting for a minimum of 10%. By 2045, Kon Chu Rang aims to receive 150,000 visitors, with at least 25% being international tourists.

According to the approval decisions, resort and recreational activities must not be conducted within the strictly protected sub-zone. The leasing of the forest environment or partnerships and joint ventures in ecotourism, resort, and recreational business are also prohibited in this sub-zone.

Tourism-serving facilities must harmonize with the natural landscape, with a strong encouragement for the use of eco-friendly materials and prefabricated, easily dismantlable components.

The development of ecotourism in Kon Ka Kinh and Kon Chu Rang is oriented towards creating distinctive tourism products for Gia Lai while supplementing resources for forest protection, biodiversity conservation, and the livelihoods of buffer zone communities.

Hong Ngoc