Tourism development ends deforestation
Mr. Tran Van Huong, Chom Mui Hamlet, Dat Mui Commune, Ngoc Hien District, Ca Mau Province, one of the first households to do eco-tourism in Dat Mui, said: “More than 20 years ago, traveling in this area was extremely difficult. In 2014, by chance, many birds and storks flew to perch in the mangrove forest near my house. The forest rangers built a water fountain for me, and people also came to see. They encouraged me to do tourism. Honestly, at that time, I didn’t know what tourism was.”
From knowing nothing about tourism, the tourist destination named Tran Van Huong now has stable revenue, creating jobs for more than 20 people here.
Mr. Huong affirmed: “Without mangrove trees and agarwood trees, there would be no fish, shrimp, or crabs. In the past, protecting the forest was very tiring, and people would go into the forest to cut down mangrove trees to make charcoal or firewood. Since tourism has developed, young people here have jobs, and no one goes into the forest to be “forest bandits.”
The owner of the tourist establishment, Le Minh Ty, had spent 14 years working with shrimp before deciding to switch to tourism. With an area of 8 hectares, 70% of which is mangrove forest. Tourism has doubled his family's income.
Mr. Ty shared: “Most of the forest land that can be developed for ecotourism belongs to the National Park, and cannot be converted to build permanent accommodation facilities. This is also a concern of many farming households.”
Hoang Hon Tourist Area is located right on the way to Dat Mui. Recently developed into a business, expanding the investment scale, building a motel deep under the forest canopy.
Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien - Director of Hoang Hon Trade - Service - Construction - Tourism Company Limited, Ngoc Hien district - said: "Currently, the company is developing tourism products that recreate the traditional occupations of Dat Mui people such as: Shrimp catching, crab catching, crab trap setting... for tourists to experience".
Gold mine waiting to be exploited
The name Ca Mau Cape is a destination in itself. Because this is the last national sovereignty coordinate on the mainland. It is the end point of the Ho Chi Minh trail, the southernmost point of the country... The geographical factor gives Ca Mau an advantage in tourism. Especially since the road connecting Dat Mui with Nam Can - Ca Mau has begun to develop.
Currently, the Ministry of Transport is considering submitting to the Government the expansion of National Highway 1A to Dat Mui; considering the plan to build a highway to Dat Mui; the People's Committee of Ca Mau province is calling for investment in Hon Khoai seaport (Dat Mui)... The completion of these projects will create great opportunities for Dat Mui to develop tourism.
According to Mr. Tran Hieu Hung - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ca Mau province, Ca Mau is blessed with favorable natural conditions to develop eco-tourism and community tourism. This type of green tourism is increasingly attracting domestic and foreign visitors, and is an effective solution to solve the labor problem and create livelihoods for local people.
In fact, since tourism has developed, people's lives here have improved a lot, security and order have been ensured, and the situation of illegal logging has almost receded into the past...
