Strengthening the Grey-shanked Douc Langur Experience in Tam Mỹ: GreenViet x Next Continent x Tiên Phong Group
Conservation is rarely the work of one organisation alone. It takes local knowledge, scientific expertise, responsible tourism, education and (perhaps most importantly) people willing to work together towards the same goal.
That is exactly what brought GreenViet, the Tiên Phong Group and Next Continent together again in Tam Mỹ.
For an international wildlife traveller, seeing a Grey-shanked Douc Langur is only one part of the experience. Local guides in the Tiên Phong Group are there to help visitors understand the landscape, the douc and why protecting these places matters. This is particularly important for a species classified as critically endangered, as its conservation depends on protecting the forests and wider landscapes on which they depend.
Our recent meeting was an opportunity to reconnect with our partners, thank the Tiên Phong Group for their continued support and discuss how we can keep developing more meaningful Grey-shanked Douc Langur experiences while supporting local conservation and the communities.
One of the most valuable parts of this collaboration is that each partner brings something different to the table to have more practical conversations about what responsible wildlife tourism can look like in Tam Mỹ.
GreenViet brings extensive conservation knowledge and experience working with the Grey-shanked Douc Langur and local communities, whilst the Tiên Phong Group brings local knowledge and first hand experience of the forest and the wildlife (especially about the GSDL) in Tam Mỹ.
And Next Continent, we bring another perspective: specialist wildlife tourism and experience working with international visitors, specialists, and wildlife enthusiasts, etc.
During this visit, GreenViet and Next Continent worked together to plan a training session for members of the Tiên Phong Group. Our expert wildlife guide “Thành Phan”, shared the important knowledge, skills, and ways of thinking that can help support their future involvement in ecotourism, particularly when welcoming international visitors and wildlife specialists.
But it was not all about training and work. It was also a lovely opportunity to catch up over some local dishes, share stories and simply enjoy spending time together. Throughout the conversations and training session, we shared plenty of laughs and created some memorable moments together.
As a small thank you, Next Continent brought along our high quality insulate water bottles and a large canvas print featuring Grey-shanked Douc Langurs and some familiar faces from the Tiên Phong Group as a simple way to celebrate our partners and wildlife that have become such an important part of our time in Tam Mỹ.
For Next Continent, wildlife tourism should always start with respect for the wildlife itself. That means thinking carefully about how visitors interact with nature, how wildlife experiences are managed and how local communities can be involved in ways that are meaningful and sustainable. Developing a Grey-shanked Douc Langur experience is not only about helping visitors see one of Vietnam’s most remarkable primates, it is also about making the experience built around respect for the species, its habitat and the people working to protect it.
Our thanks go to the Tiên Phong Group for their continued support and for the work they have done to protect the wildlife around Tam Mỹ. We are also grateful to GreenViet for continuing to bring conservation expertise and local partners together.
As our relationship develops, we hope to keep learning, sharing and building better wildlife experiences together, with conservation remaining at the heart of what we do.
