Positioning the green tourism brand of Quang Nam: Finding a common voice in public-private cooperation

Stakeholders coordinated with famtrip to survey the development of green destinations in Cam Kim, Hoi An City. Photo: HA SAU

Fragmented public-private partnership

In 2022-2023, representatives of the National Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) recommended the formation of a provincial tourism advisory board that would help promote dialogue and public-private partnership for sustainable tourism development. However, to date, this has not materialized.

If a council is established with the participation of large tourism businesses in the province, it will mobilize resources in building tourism products, organizing destination promotion activities and contributing to consulting and proposing macro policies on tourism development.

One of the greatest achievements of public-private partnership in tourism development in Quang Nam is the establishment of the Quang Nam Green Tourism Criteria. However, this set of criteria has not been recognized at the international level, the effect it brings to certified units is not much, so businesses are not interested.

Authorities and businesses coordinate to organize the Quang Nam International Kite Festival 2024. Photo: HA SAU

Tourism experts say that in every green development model, whether large or small, there needs to be a close connection between the public and private sectors. There, the public sector will take on the task of developing infrastructure, building criteria and having sanctions to ensure compliance by relevant units. The remaining private sector and relevant parties will have to sign a commitment to comply with sustainable practices.

Over the past years, most of the 33 enterprises and destinations that have met the standards of the Quang Nam Green Tourism Criteria have come from individual efforts. According to Mr. Van Ba Son - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, there is no consistency in public-private cooperation between international projects implemented in Quang Nam. Destinations supported by different international organizations have no connection; projects between mountainous areas and plain areas lack consistency and system.

Need more companionship

Mr. Van Ba Son said that it is urgent to develop preferential policies for businesses practicing green tourism. In Southeast Asia, some countries have implemented this policy.

Businesses need more support in the green practice process instead of mainly "swimming on their own" as they are doing now. Photo: HA SAU

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proposed to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in writing and at forums, but so far there has been no response. For example, Thailand has implemented a 25% reduction in corporate income tax for 5 years when meeting the conditions of green tourism criteria; Indonesia has launched a program to reduce 30 - 50% of tax to promote sustainable tourism.

Ms. Le Pham Thien Hang - founder of An Farm Hoi An believes that farmers should be considered as real partners to achieve sustainable development. Not many restaurants and hotels in Hoi An have included dishes made from Tra Que vegetables or other local specialties in their menus.

The connection is quite fragmented, not forming a value chain. If there is a certain number of service providers, local brands will be upgraded, thereby encouraging farmers and young people to stick with agricultural tourism.

“Agricultural workers who switch to green production often face many difficulties in the first 7 years, so authorities or organizations need to have appropriate support policies to help them,” said Ms. Hang.

According to Mr. Le Hoang Ha - Director of Hoi An Unique Tourism Company, it is very difficult for people at destinations to approach and develop green tourism systematically for many reasons, including conflicts of interest between entities. Destinations need a "conductor" to coordinate and should be assigned to reputable and capable travel agencies, then the possibility of success will be higher.

Mr. Le Quoc Viet - Chairman of the Club "Quang Nam Destination Preserving Indigenous Values" proposed to establish a club temporarily called "Green connect - green bridge". Thereby creating a basis to gather forces and units with experience and certification in green development in Quang Nam to share and spread the capacity to access green tourism to all parties, especially people in destinations who do not have much knowledge about sustainable development.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/dinh-vi-thuong-hieu-du-lich-xanh-xu-quang-tim-tieng-noi-chung-trong-hop-tac-cong-tu-3156350.html