Quang Ninh is at the forefront of fostering sustainable tourism in Vietnam, implementing green transformation strategies to protect Ha Long Bay and enhance service quality. The province is shaping its green tourism, with initiatives ranging from the reduction of plastic waste to the advancement of ecotourism.
Quang Ninh, renowned for the World Heritage site Ha Long Bay, spearheads Vietnam’s sustainable tourism through green transformation
Quang Ninh, which is famous for Ha Long Bay - a world natural heritage, is leading green transformation to develop sustainable tourism in Vietnam. As the world is facing challenges from climate change and COVID-19 pandemic impacts, Quang Ninh not only quickly recovered but also applied strategies to develop sustainable, eco-friendly tourism.
Mr. Nguyen Ha Hai, Vice Chairman of the Quang Ninh Tourism Association, Chairman of the Quang Ninh Travel Association, said that, more than 10 years ago, Quang Ninh province decided to change its development method from “gray” to “green” to sustain tourism development and turn it into a key economic sector. Especially, facing current challenges of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, when tourism trends change, Quang Ninh tourism has quickly adapted, recovered and advanced to “green” sustainable tourism. A typical example is sustainable tourism investment and planning in Co To, where policies such as banning the use of plastic bags and disposable plastic items are strictly enforced. According to the province’s goal by 2025, Co To will become a “plastic waste-free island”, demonstrating a strong commitment to protecting the ecological environment and natural landscape. In addition, Quang Ninh also focuses on developing eco-tourism areas, planned to minimize environmental impact and preserve local cultural values.
To ensure a green tourism experience for tourists, Quang Ninh has constantly improved service quality. Tourism firms are encouraged to apply international green tourism standards. In particular, the cruise ship fleet in Ha Long Bay has committed to not using single-use plastic products, with nearly 200 cruise ships having signed such a commitment.
In addition, the province has sped up the training of high-quality human resources for green tourism and applied policies to encourage tourists to participate in environmentally friendly activities. At the same time, communications and educational activities have been enhanced to raise awareness about environmental protection and sustainable tourism development.
Quang Ninh has also focused on developing tourism products associated with preserving and promoting traditional cultural values. The appearance of sea turtles and whales in Co To and Ha Long proves that the marine environment is gradually improving thanks to efforts to clean the environment and preserve biodiversity.
Thanks to continuous efforts, Quang Ninh has obtained many significant achievements in green transformation in tourism. The amount of waste at tourist destinations is significantly reduced, the quality of tourism services is increasingly improved, and the marine environment is improved to attract a large number of international tourists interested in green tourism.
Nevertheless, to continue sustainable development, Quang Ninh needs to improve the legal framework for green transformation in tourism, strengthen cooperation between relevant parties, and improve scientific research and technological innovation capacity in this field, according to economic experts. Furthermore, the province should also boost green tourism images to the international market.
With current effort and determination, Quang Ninh not only protects the environment but also gradually asserts itself as one of the leading green tourism destinations in the region and the world. Hence, Quang Ninh promises to continue to be an inspiration for sustainable tourism development in other localities around the world.
By Thu Huyen, Vietnam Business Forum
Vietnamese
October 2024
Hanoi