Main area of focus in Caring for the Destination:  

Environment, Society - women and community development and Culture

Detailed description of the Caring for the Destination Initiative: 

The original aims were to improve the livelihoods of local people by assisting them in the development and marketing of their tourism related services. Before this project locals' only living was from herding and was marginal. Now the sustainable tourism goals of Khustai (Hustai) has reached into other areas...

Additional income is now generated from:

 - Organised visits to nomadic families. During these trips visitors can acquaint with local nomadic lifestyles, habits and cattle (horses and camels) herding/trekking techniques, and

- A shop for local handicrafts and souvenirs. This facility gives locals an incentive to continue to learn felt and leather crafts making skills. Money made at the craft store is, among other things, put back into the craft. It is used to financially support artists to attend traveler fairs held in Ulaanbaatar where they can sell their products to a wider market.

There are four felt-making communities in Khustai National Park region: Mungun Savaa, Mongol Esgii, Uran Shirmel, Tod Myandas. Each felt-making group consists of women performing an important role in the sustainable livelihood of hearding households in the region. Their natural, handmade, felt products and souvenirs are beautiful and unique.

The resort has also been successfully partnering with some local families to protect the national park on a contract basis. The project is improving their livelihood and providing environmental education.

Since 2003, Khustai National Park Trust has implemented the "Improving Sustainable Livelihood in Khustai National Park Buffer Zone" Project. As part of this project the Park co-partners with the Ministry of Nature, Environment & Tourism of Mongolia, the Dutch Government and other locals organisation including the Resort to strengthen operations between local communities, county administrative bodies, rangers and members of the buffer zone project. The Project partners provide training and courses for locals including operations management, finance management, writing draft proposals, protecting nature, growing vegetable, producing diary products, felt making and other related courses.

The Project also supports local communities to graze their cattle for winter and spring seasons, develops and implements the buffer zone management plans, and enriches the buffer zone funds to improve loan services.