Green tourism - strategic direction of the capital

With advantages in natural resources, culture and infrastructure, along with a new development strategy, green tourism is opening up a promising direction for the capital.

Du lịch xanh - hướng đi chiến lược của Thủ đô - Ảnh 1. — Tourists experience exploring Ba Vi National Park.

Spearhead of the capital's tourism

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), green tourism is not simply tourism associated with nature, but also a comprehensive approach to minimize negative impacts on the environment, promote the role of the community and move towards sustainable development. This is the direction that many cities in the world have chosen to increase competitiveness and attract international tourists.

Hanoi - a city of more than 10 million people - is facing many challenges of traffic overload, air pollution, and household waste. Therefore, developing tourism in a green - clean - beautiful direction is not only a strategic requirement but also contributes to solving urgent urban problems.

According to Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu, green tourism is the trend and goal that the tourism industry is aiming for. With its position as the capital of the country, Hanoi should make green tourism the spearhead strategy of the capital's tourism.

According to experts, Hanoi has many advantages to be a pioneer in developing green tourism. The capital has rich natural resources, a climate with four distinct seasons, and abundant surface and underground water all year round. At the same time, there are many types of diverse terrain including fertile plains and mountains that can serve tourism development, especially rural tourism and farm tourism.

Recognizing the potential of green tourism in Hanoi, Chairman of the Vietnam Green Tourism Association Phung Quang Thang said that many tourist destinations in the suburbs of Hanoi are undergoing strong changes in building green spaces and using environmentally friendly materials in tourism activities. This not only improves local economic conditions but also makes the appearance of many places score points with tourists thanks to clean, beautiful and friendly environmental landscapes.

Synchronize green criteria

Hanoi has been developing many new tourism products aimed at minimizing the impact on the ecological environment and promoting the advantages of local cultural identity. For example, the train tourism product "Hanoi 5 gates" connecting heritage destinations of Hanoi - Bac Ninh; experiencing tourism by metro; traveling by electric car, increasing green bus routes to tourist destinations...

According to the Hanoi Department of Tourism, over the past years the city has implemented a series of initiatives: Encouraging accommodation establishments and restaurants to limit single-use plastic products; building eco-tourism and community experience models; installing signs and sorting bins at historical sites; and organizing community programs such as "Green Sunday" to raise awareness of environmental protection. Programs encouraging hotels and homestays to achieve "green tourism" certification according to international standards have improved service quality, reduced energy consumption and affirmed their commitment to reducing carbon footprints. Many festivals and cultural events organized in a "zero waste" direction spread a strong message about responsible tourism.

Efforts to develop green tourism in the capital are bringing results and benefits to the tourism industry. However, according to experts, developing green tourism in Hanoi still faces difficulties due to lack of uniformity, lack of human resources and unclear criteria.

Chairman of the Vietnam Green Tourism Association Phung Quang Thang said that the Vietnam Tourism Association has just built a set of green tourism criteria in 4 main areas: Tourist destinations, tourist accommodation facilities, travel agencies and food and beverage establishments serving tourists. The set of green tourism criteria is built on the main pillars: Environment, culture, community and education. For green tourism to truly become an advantage of the capital, Hanoi needs to build tourist areas that are implemented synchronously according to the newly issued set of green criteria.

On September 5, Hanoi was awarded the “Sustainable Tourism” 2025 by the Tourism Promotion Organization for Global Cities (TPO), recognizing practical initiatives and affirming the capital’s position on the international green tourism map. This is not only a reward for the persistent efforts of the capital’s tourism industry, but also a testament to the vision of harmonious development between environmental conservation, promoting cultural values and promoting economic growth.

At the award ceremony, Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang emphasized that this award reflects Hanoi's vision of integrating tourism development into long-term urban strategy, considering tourism as part of the green growth strategy.

“Hanoi has initially applied the circular economic model in tourism. In the future, Hanoi will promote the development of cultural tourism products, community tourism, and build green tourism infrastructure with the orientation of developing tourism not at the expense of resources, but based on harmony and responsibility,” Ms. Dang Huong Giang affirmed.

New Hanoi Newspaper

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/du-lich-xanh-huong-di-chien-luoc-cua-thu-do-20250915110053588.htm