Protect the environment for sustainable tourism development

  - In recent times, tourism in the province has been developing strongly, the number of tourists coming to Lang Son is increasing day by day. In order for the province's tourism industry to develop sustainably, specialized agencies have been implementing solutions to develop tourism associated with environmental protection.

Tam Thanh Pagoda, Lang Son city is always green, clean, beautiful, ensuring the landscape and tourism environment.

Lang Son has 53 tourist attractions recognized by the Provincial People's Committee, mainly spiritual, cultural, community tourism and over 300 accommodation establishments. However, at some tourist attractions and spontaneous tourism, there is still a situation where waste is not collected and treated effectively, especially during the peak tourist season. A number of tourist accommodation establishments have not paid attention to environmental protection solutions inside and outside the business premises.

To protect the environment and develop sustainable tourism, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (DOCST) has implemented many solutions to improve the tourism environment. Mr. Nguyen Dang An, Director of the DOCST, said: In recent times, the department has presided over and coordinated with departments, branches, and People's Committees of districts and cities to strengthen propaganda on environmental protection in many forms to raise awareness and responsibility of officials, tourism workers, tourism businesses, tourists and people about ensuring the environment in tourism activities. The department also directed specialized agencies to develop experiential tourism products, orienting tourists to environmental protection activities and landscapes; accommodation establishments and tourist attractions to increase the use of environmentally friendly materials, save energy and effectively manage waste and wastewater.

In propaganda work, from 2023 to present, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has promoted and integrated environmental protection solutions through 7 training courses on tourism development for over 350 tourism businesses; the Film Distribution and Screening Center edited news bulletins and organized over 900 integrated propaganda sessions on environmental protection and green tourism development for people and tourism businesses in villages and hamlets.

At the same time, the Provincial Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion also promoted propaganda on tourism environmental protection on social networking platforms and the unit's websites. Ms. Tran Thi Bich Hanh, Deputy Director of the Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion, said: From the beginning of 2024 to now, the center has promoted and posted 10 articles, images, and video clips on tourism environmental protection on the unit's websites and fanpages; propagated codes of conduct for environmental protection in cultural, sports and tourism activities. Thereby contributing to raising public awareness in protecting the tourism environment.

In addition, districts and cities have directed communes, wards and towns to build a model of mass participation in environmental protection, mobilizing cadres, workers and people to organize 1-2 campaigns per month to clean the environment, sweep, collect and treat waste on streets, public playgrounds and around tourist attractions. For tourist attractions, accommodation establishments have proactively increased the use of environmentally friendly products, planted and cared for trees and signed contracts with functional units to collect, transport and treat waste.

Mr. Duong Cong Hanh, owner of Mo Mam eco-tourism facility, Chien Thang commune, Bac Son district, shared: In addition to investing in facilities to create green and beautiful landscapes, we also regularly clean the environment inside and outside the tourist site, and build a wastewater treatment system. When visitors come to experience, there will be staff to distribute plastic bags for garbage and guide visitors to collect garbage in the right place. We have signed a contract with the district's environmental cooperative to collect, classify, and treat garbage with a frequency of 2 days/time. Particularly during the 3 peak summer months, we pay nearly 30 million VND for the unit to come and collect and treat garbage with a frequency of 1 time/day.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien, a tourist from Bac Ninh city, shared: My family often goes to Lang Son for sightseeing and relaxation. I find tourist attractions such as Tan Thanh Pagoda, Ban Khieng Waterfall, Mau Son tourist area very beautiful, impressive, and the air is fresh. I observed that at tourist attractions, there are convenient trash bins and specific signs for tourists, so there is no littering...

With the active measures that all levels and sectors in the province have been implementing, the ecological environment at tourist attractions and accommodation establishments in the province has been improved. Up to now, 100% of tourist attractions and accommodation establishments have purchased equipment to collect and treat waste, built public toilets; green, clean and beautiful environmental landscapes; actively propagandized and guided people and tourists to participate in environmental protection activities such as not littering the environment, not affecting the natural landscape...

Creating a green - clean - beautiful, safe and friendly tourism environment is an important factor in sustainable tourism development, especially at the present time when the province is actively developing Lang Son Geopark into a global Geopark. Therefore, in the coming time, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to open tourism training courses associated with disseminating environmental protection solutions to raise awareness and responsibility of people and businesses in preserving and protecting the tourism environment. At the same time, the Department will strengthen inspection and supervision of compliance with environmental protection regulations at tourist destinations and accommodation establishments, contributing to a green and sustainable tourism.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/bao-ve-moi-truong-de-phat-trien-du-lich-ben-vung-5014035.html