Abstract
Payment for Environment/Ecosystem Services (PES) is a market-based approach toward the dual goal of poverty alleviation and forest conservation. In Vietnam, PES has been nationwide applied to the forest environment, namely Payment for Forest Environmental Services (PFES). Nevertheless, the PFES application in forest-based tourism is very limited. To enhance policy implementation in practice, this study analyses a case study in Sapa town, Vietnam. We find that the overlapping revenue of service providers is a substantial issue holding back PFES applications in tourism. Accordingly, we recommend two potential payers for tourism-PFES, including accommodation companies and ticketing companies (based on the revenue from entrance tickets). We then suggest a PFES payment level of 1 percent of total revenue from ticket sales and room charges. Moreover, the study also provides some recommendations to ensure the fairness and transparency in PES application, as well as factual, reflect of the nature of PFES during implementation.
Highlights
Starting in the 1990s, payment for ecosystem services or payment for environmental services (PES) has become a popular policy tool for managing natural resources in more than 60 countries [1], [2], [3]
Participating stakeholders in Payment for Forest Environmental Services (PFES) in tourism According to the Food and Agriculture Organization – FAO (2003), forests provide landscape values including the natural landscape of rivers, streams, waterfalls, etc. and recreation values for humans such as air quality, recreation spaces, etc
In Vietnam, PES has been applied in the forestry sector, known as payment forest environmental services (PFES)
Summary
Starting in the 1990s, payment for ecosystem services or payment for environmental services (PES) has become a popular policy tool for managing natural resources in more than 60 countries [1], [2], [3]. PES has been applied in four ecosystem services: biodiversity conservation, watershed services, carbon sequestration, and landscape beauty [4], [5]. PES programs follow a similar payment approach in terms of beneficiaries, payment methods, and mechanisms [7], [8]. Existing PES programs only focus on three main ecosystem services: water, biodiversity, and carbon [9]. PES in tourism encompasses a wide range of services, including wildlife and wildlife conservation for consumption (hunting) or non-consumption (sightseeing) and landscape beauty. Tourists often pay for the landscapes but not for the biodiversity itself
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