According to Dang Tran Nhu Thuy from the Vietnam Institute of Geosciences andMineral Resources under the Ministry of Natural Resources an Environment (MoNRE),geotourism is an eco-tourism type that can be developed areas with importantgeological features and values, such as inactive or active craters, rivercanyons, waterfalls, or paleontological remains and fossils.
Thuy highlighted the role played by geoparks for the sustainable development ofterritories.
Geoparks, which have developed for more than 20 years, is a collection ofgeological heritages with clear administrative and geographical boundaries regulatedand protected by law. The model was officially recognised by UNESCO.
Vietnam’s geopark network was established in 2019, with five members namely Dong Van Karst Plateau, Non Nuoc Cao Bang and Dak Nong UNESCO global geoparks, and Ly Son – Sa Huynh and Lang Son geoparks.
These geoparks have increasingly upheld both natural and social values, contributingto promoting geotourism development and realising sustainable development goalsin the country, Thuy said./.