Oxalis’s Green Tourism Development Strategy

What is Green Tourism?

According to the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), green tourism is a responsible form of travel. It aims to minimize tourism's negative impact on the environment while preserving and enhancing destinations' cultural and natural values.

Green tourism has four main elements:

• Environmental protection
• Local economic development
• Cultural preservation
• Community development

How does Oxalis develop green tourism products?

In the 2010s, Phong Nha was a poor rural area in Quang Binh Province. Despite its harsh climate and frequent heavy rains, this land holds invaluable natural heritage. It features vast primeval forests with diverse and rare plant and animal species. Additionally, the region has an extensive cave system millions of years old. These factors give Quang Binh great potential for developing eco-tourism practices.

In 2011, Oxalis was officially established and began taking groups of tourists deep into the vast forests and magnificent caves of Phong Nha to experience nature's grandeur and wonders. With a strong focus on environmental issues and a deep understanding of the impact of sustainable tourism, Oxalis set 3 guiding principles for its business: Safety, Conservation, and Local Community Engagement. These principles guide every decision to create sustainable tourism products, from product development to operations and business practices. The following actions and solutions summarize Oxalis's approach to sustainable tourism:

1. Environmental Protection

Oxalis believes that tourism can connect people with nature. For this reason, Oxalis has created sustainable travel experiences where visitors can fully enjoy nature while helping to protect the environment. By limiting the number of guests, using eco-friendly transportation like walking and biking, and implementing effective waste management practices, Oxalis aims to provide meaningful and sustainable travel experiences. Our company continuously improves its operations, from tour design to waste management, to minimize ecological impact. We aim to build a sustainable tourism ecosystem that benefits the community and the environment.

2. Local economic development

Since introducing adventure tourism and gaining popularity among visitors, it has created many job opportunities for residents. This tourism growth has also increased government revenue. Additionally, tourism has boosted local commerce by promoting the sale of goods and services. This development has strongly driven local economic growth, especially in one of Quang Binh’s most challenging regions.

3. Cultural preservation and community development

Preserving culture and developing the community is challenging in poor areas or places prone to frequent flooding. Young people often leave for better job opportunities far from home. If they can't find good jobs, they might turn to illegal activities like poaching or logging precious wood to support themselves. These actions threaten community development and directly impact natural resources and biodiversity. Additionally, with migration increasing, preserving culture becomes even more difficult due to the need for younger generations to continue traditions.

Since Oxalis started our eco-tourism initiative, recruiting local people has been key to its human resources strategy. Oxalis has built a team that deeply understands local culture and jungle characteristics by involving locals. These locals make excellent guides and provide valuable information to visitors. Additionally, hiring local workers helps reduce deforestation. Many former loggers have become forest protectors, gaining stable and peaceful livelihoods.

With the growth of eco-friendly tourism, more local youth are returning to their hometowns and contributing to their communities. This has sparked a renewed focus on preserving cultural identity. Thus, green tourism promotes sustainability and enhances environmental conservation and cultural preservation.

In summary, green tourism enhances the lives of local communities and creates economic value, as well as conserves nature and reduces environmental impact. It is an ideal mechanism to balance benefits and ensure sustainable development for all stakeholders. Green tourism is necessary for exploiting tourism and livelihood pursuits to avoid long-term challenges for forest management authorities and local governments in maintaining the balance between conservation and economic development.

Moreover, sustainable economic development without major disruptions will help preserve local cultural aspects such as cuisine, language, and customs. Communities will retain their cultural richness without alteration, thereby achieving sustainability in tourism.

The Role of Visitors in Oxalis Tours

When choosing eco-friendly travel with Oxalis, visitors enjoy unique experiences and help protect the natural environment and society. By opting for sustainable tourism development, you support job creation and provide stable income for local communities. This reduces economic pressure and encourages community involvement in sustainable development projects.

Visitor participation also helps spread environmental awareness. By understanding the value of nature, visitors become ambassadors of sustainable living. They also share positive messages and actions about environmental protection and sustainable development with their communities. These messages influence individuals and help build a society responsible for the environment and society.

We believe that travel is about discovering new things and connecting with nature and the community. Through our ongoing efforts, Oxalis aims to provide meaningful experiences while protecting nature's precious values. We deeply appreciate your support and look forward to working together for a sustainable future.

The Oxalis Experience.