Gifted with great mountains: Cuc Phuong National Park

Have you ever, after a field trip or a forest patrol, walking beneath the whispering ancient trees of Cuc Phuong or listening to the morning calls of gibbons in Cat Tien, returned and paused at your own souvenir shop? Sometimes, all we see are mass-produced items, lacking the very “spirit of the forest.”

I have stood there myself, wondering: How can we ensure that when visitors leave, they carry not only photos or a sense of renewal from nature, but also a piece of the forest’s soul?

The shift from a “ticket-selling” mindset to building a complete eco-experience value chain remains a shared concern for many national park managers. From a visitor’s perspective, a small souvenir is not just a product - if thoughtfully designed and meaningfully placed, it can become an “ambassador of conservation,” a sustainable financial resource, and a source of livelihood for local communities in buffer zones.

Lessons from forests across the globe

To find solutions, we can look to international experiences. In the United States national park system, an inspiring model has emerged through partnerships with non-profit organizations. They do not simply sell items - they sell environmental stories. More than USD 200 million in revenue from these products has been fully reinvested into education and conservation efforts.

Far away in South Africa, national parks generate nearly 70% of their revenue from tourism. Their key lies in partnering closely with local communities, bringing traditional handicrafts of groups like the Zulu and Shangaan into official product lines.

Even further, in Australia, each Aboriginal handicraft carries a form of “identity certification,” ensuring that revenue from cultural value goes directly to its creators. Authenticity, sustainability, and fair benefit-sharing are the keys to unlocking this success.

Our story and a “Six-step playbook”

Returning to our S-shaped country, Viet Nam is home to 36 national parks and hundreds of nature reserves and special-use forests across diverse ecosystems. From vast cave systems and misty tropical forests to white-sand beaches and vibrant coral reefs, each landscape offers rich inspiration for uniquely Vietnamese souvenirs.

Yet these comparative advantages remain underutilized. A coherent strategy is still lacking, the line between authentic handicrafts and mass-produced goods is often blurred, and local communities in buffer zones are not fully integrated into the eco-tourism value chain.

To change this, a new mindset and more creative approaches are needed. The following “six-step playbook” offers key suggestions for those shaping the future of eco-tourism development.

First, establish a new framework: Every beginning needs a solid legal foundation. Clear regulations are needed for souvenir and eco-gift standards, along with mechanisms to allocate a portion of profits for reinvestment in conservation.

Second, tell local stories: Avoid selling generic souvenirs. Phong Nha - Ke Bang can tell the story of million-year-old stalactites; Cuc Phuong can highlight rare primates; Con Dao can evoke the image of sea turtles capturing visitors’ hearts.

Third, introduce a “green passport”: It is time to develop a national certification label for “Viet Nam Eco-Gifts,” assuring visitors of product origin and contributions to conservation.

Fourth, foster a four-party partnership: Do not work in isolation. Connect park management boards, buffer-zone cooperatives, tourism enterprises, and non-profit organizations into a cohesive network where collaboration and benefits are shared fairly.

Fifth, empower with skills, not just support: Instead of simply placing orders, invest in people by combining refined design trends with local knowledge, traditions, and the cultural identity of ethnic artisans.

Sixth, promote souvenirs in digital spaces: Apply QR codes or blockchain so that when visitors scan them, they can “hear the voice of the forest,” learn who created the item, and see how their purchase contributes to planting new trees.

In closing, each national park manager should find a distinctive path, yet share a common goal: Plant today - sustain the future. When a souvenir is cherished and carried home by visitors, it represents not only economic value, but also the successful planting of a seed of love for nature in the public’s heart.