Do Thi Tuyen from Hoa Lu district has 18 years of experience rowing a boat in the Trang An eco-tourism area.
In 2003, when the tourism area was being built, there were only 20 boats on offer, ferrying survey teams and workers to different places.
When the eco-tourism area came into operation, her life changed significantly as she earned a higher income than before.
The Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex is home to 44,000 local residents, of whom some 14,000 live in the core area. Tourism development has improved livelihoods, with 10,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs created.
Tourism development not only creates sustainable livelihoods for local people but also contributes to restoring traditional cultural values that are at risk of disappearing, including traditional embroidery in Hoa Lu district.
In 1994, there were only about 10 households involved in embroidery, but after 2014, when the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex became a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site, the number of international tourists rose and tourism became an important means to revive the craft village.
Ninh Binh has also determined that the conservation and promotion of sustainable heritage values requires the participation of communities in heritage areas.
Only when people benefit and have a sustainable livelihood and stable income are they able to participate in conservation efforts./.
