Da Nang, Vietnam (TAN): Quang Nam province has taken up a range of initiatives to promote sustainable tourism development, reducing plastic waste being one of the key measures, Nhan Dan reported.
Quang Nam Tourism Association held a seminar on sustainable tourism in the city of Hoi An – popular with tourists – on September 9, where the issue of plastic waste was discussed under the theme “Tourism without plastic waste”. Other key topics included the importance of promoting greenery and accessible tourism products, creating an innovative startup environment and creative design in tourism.
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The delegates present at the event shared their concern regarding the global issue of plastic waste that is all the more acute in tourist destinations that attract lots of travellers. Quang Nam currently has 629 accommodation establishments, with 13,257 rooms, concentrated mainly in the old town of Hoi An.
Quang Nam has been a pioneer in waste management in recent times by reducing plastic waste and building a sustainable tourism environment, especially in local lodging.
The Sapo Hoi An group has converted about 300 litres of used cooking oil collected from restaurants into kitchen soap products over the past five years. Since the end of 2018, An Nhien Farm Resort has recycled about 300 kg of disposable soap and 1.5 tonnes of used white towels. These initiatives have helped in reducing the amount of waste discharged into the environment.
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According to the report, Quang Nam Tourism Association chairman Phan Xuan Thanh said that reducing plastic waste has been a focus by tourism agencies in Hoi An and with specific actions. Many travel companies in Hoi An has turned the waste challenge into opportunities such as forming the typical tourism products to let tourists join garbage collecting activities in the local tributaries. However, the alternative materials should be reasonably priced and easily accessible to local people and tourists accommodations.
Vice chairman of the Quang Nam Provincial People’s Committee Le Tri Thanh said that the ever increasing number of tourists in Quang Nam is also resulting in an increase in use of plastic bottles and packaging, which is a major challenge.
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UNESCO representative in Vietnam Michael Croft said Hoi An had done a good job of preserving and promoting the value of a World Cultural Heritage for tourism development. The local tourism industry needed to continue to lead the way in reducing plastic waste, considering this as both a goal and a priority to preserve the heritage for future generations, the report added.
The workshop also showcased various eco-friendly products, sustainable tourism models, art exhibitions on environment and field trips for green and sustainable tourism experience in Quang Nam.
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