As the fishing business and coconut wetlands are fast dwindling, residents at Phuoc Hai Fishing Village look for alternative ways to still earn substantial income and preserve their traditional livelihood at the same time, and have found the solution in ecotourism.

Phuoc Hai Fishing Village is located at Cam Thanh Commune in Hoi An, an old coastal town in the Central Province of Quang Nam. The Nypa palm was the most common yet beautiful plant in the area, forming a mangrove ecosystem and a part of the Hoi An-cu Lao Cham Biosphere Reserve. It naturally became a lucrative business, providing fisheries, palm leaves, tourism, and even refuge to its people during bad weather. But in the 1990s, due to unfeasible use of resources, the Nypa palm wetlands declined in both quantity and quality, now only occupying 60 hectares of what used to be a rich production and business.

Tran Van Khoa, or more popularly known as Jack Tran, is a local resident who was born in the fishing village and had been working in tourism. In an effort to give local residents a substitute means of livelihood amidst the dying fishing trade, set up the eco-tour company with an even deeper mission of preserving and promoting the environment and strong social and cultural values at Phuoc Hai. He wanted to establish a company with only his fellow villagers as workers, and at present has 23 staff composed completey of local residents from Phuoc Hai. He has six boats which serve an average of 1,500-2,000 tourists every month, both local and foreign.

Khoa's eco-tours are very famous especially among foreign guests because they are able to get first-hand experience at casting the fishing nets, paddling the (uniquely-shaped) boats, taking part in boat races and exploring the water coconut Nypa palm bushes along the Thu Bon River. This way, visitors earn the unique and unforgettable opportunity to learn about the day-to-day life of a fishermen, their families and the commmunity of Phuoc Hai as a whole.

In an effort to preserve the Nypa palm resources, a two-year project is currently underway which includes promoting investment for coastal eco-systems, utilizing the wetlands in a more sustainable and profitable process, and increasing awareness regarding the value and potential of the Nypa palm wetlands. The eco-tour company has been recognized as a significant factor in increasing this awareness both among the local residents and the foreign tourists.

The project also includes several other plans such as: assisting in training the eco-tour guides; developing, testing, and operating a Nypa palm Eco-Tour programme; formulating a tourism strategy for Cam Thanh Commune. All in all, the project aims for sustainable development that will not only bring income to the community but will most of all preserve the traditional fishing livelihood and cultural values of Phuoc Hai Fishing Village for years and years to come.