The Potential for Developing Green Tourism Products at Ba Vi National Park, Vietnam

This study evaluates the potential for developing green tourism products at Ba Vi National Park, a protected mountain destination located near Hanoi, Vietnam, and proposes a coordinated development framework consistent with ecological conservation and sustainable destination management. The study combined secondary data for 2023–2025 with primary data collected in 2026 through in-depth interviews, visitor surveys, and surveys of tourism-service households in the buffer zone. A total of 260 valid questionnaires were analyzed, including 225 visitor responses and 35 responses from local tourism-service households. Descriptive statistics, comparison, and synthesis were used to examine tourism resources, market demand, infrastructure and services, human resources, community participation, management conditions, and the current greenness of tourism products. The findings show strong resource and market potential: visitor evaluations of natural and cultural resources ranged from 4.07 to 4.36 on a five-point scale, and 82.2% of visitors were concerned or very concerned about green tourism when selecting a destination. Tourism arrivals reached 558,740 in 2025, while tourism revenue reached VND 149.7 billion. Nevertheless, the transition from nature-based tourism to fully green destination management remains incomplete. Weaknesses were identified in waste sorting, public sanitation, reduction of single-use plastics, environmental interpretation, green accommodation operations, community training, and carrying-capacity control. The study identifies five “green gaps” between: resources and environmental management; accessibility and green service quality; awareness and visitor behavior; community potential and participation capacity; and tourism growth and ecological carrying capacity. A multi-stakeholder framework is proposed, centered on ecological zoning, thematic green products, green infrastructure, environmental education, community-based livelihoods, digital visitor management, and shared responsibility among park authorities, tourists, businesses, and buffer-zone communities.