WWF helps Cat Tien people develop eco-tourism, protect environment

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has provided half a million US dollars for a project to develop ecological tourism in Cat Tien National Park in the southern province of Dong Nai.
The project aims to create sustainable livelihoods for local people, which in turn will help to protect the forests.
From now until 2011, the project’s management team will train local people how to organize ‘home stay’ visits to attract tourists.
The project is expected to help at least 100 households escape from poverty.
The Cat Tien National Park annually receives some 14,000 tourists, 21 percent of whom are from overseas.
An improvement in the local people’s living standards will help to reduce the encroachment of this world biosphere reserve.