A Green Tourism Perspective in Quang Nam

Việt Nam•03/04/2024

Some hotels have implemented green experience models within their accommodations, which has led to positive feedback and customer satisfaction. Photo: VL

Mr. Pham Hieu - Head of Marketing at Shilla Monogram Hotel: Minimize the amount of plastic or plastic bags generated.

Shilla Monogram Hotel Quang Nam Da Nang (Dien Ngoc Ward, Dien Ban District) is centrally located on the coast, connecting Da Nang and Hoi An. We offer guests convenient access to recreational activities in the surrounding areas. The outstanding value of this accommodation lies in its spacious environment and amenities such as a beautiful beach, proximity to a golf course, and convenient travel distances, making it a favorite among many guests, especially families and golf enthusiasts.

Since the beginning of the year, in addition to the main South Korean market, there has been a growing influx of Australian tourists with relatively long stays, sometimes up to 15 days. For almost two years now, the hotel has virtually stopped using plastic water bottles, and several other items have been replaced with wood, rattan, and bamboo materials, including room key cards, to minimize the amount of plastic or plastic bags generated (except for vacuum-sealed plastic bags containing fish and meat imported to the restaurant, for which there is still no solution).

In 2023, Shilla Monogram Hotel Quang Nam Da Nang was honored by Robb Report (USA) as the Best Luxury Wedding Venue and also won the World Travel Awards as the Best Family Resort.

The shift towards environmentally friendly and sustainable accommodation models has created more opportunities for resorts, contributing to the overall brand positioning of Quang Nam as a tourist destination. (Recorded by Vinh Loc )

Mr. Tran Thai Do - investor of Silk Sense Hoi An Hotel: Choosing a sustainable development direction from the design stage.

Silk Sense Hoi An Hotel chose a sustainable development approach very early on, right from the design stage. In 2016, Silk Sense was built according to environmentally friendly criteria (at that time, the term "green" wasn't used yet) such as low building density (30%), and using only AAC autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) building materials (instead of traditional red bricks which require clay, coal, and heat, affecting the environment).

Specifically, we use a central air conditioning system with condenser units that don't release heat into the air but instead return it to the water system, which is used to heat water for guests' use, recirculating and reusing exhaust gases. The swimming pool is treated with mineral salt filtration instead of chlorine and disinfected with ozone instead of chemicals…

Leaving aside business success, simply ensuring customer satisfaction with environmentally friendly products and services is already a success. At the end of 2022, Silk Sense was certified as a green hotel according to the Quang Nam Green Tourism Criteria, and in early September 2023, Silk Sense became the first plastic-free hotel in Vietnam. Staying at Silk Sense, guests not only enjoy a comfortable room but also participate in the hotel's plastic-free activities to spread the message of environmental protection. (Recorded by KHANH LINH )

Mr. Nguyen Tien Dat - General Director, CEO of AZA Travel: Quang Nam should think long-term in tourism development.

AZA Travel is a company that connects and organizes tours nationwide. Quang Nam has been one of the destinations included in their tours for many years. AZA Travel's customers are domestic tourists, Southeast Asians, and Germans. Mr. Nguyen Tien Dat, General Director - CEO of AZA Travel, shares his experiences and suggestions for tourism development in Quang Nam.

"Quang Nam boasts abundant tourism resources with many impressive destinations and diverse traditional culture. Furthermore, Quang Nam is close to Da Nang, the tourism hub of Central Vietnam. Just 45 minutes after landing at Da Nang airport, you can visit Hoi An ancient town."

These are the strengths that have attracted so many tourists to Quang Nam in recent years. Hoi An has consistently been ranked among the top most attractive destinations on the planet by many international magazines.

However, this is precisely why Hoi An is overcrowded. In recent years, the local government has made efforts to change this by gradually diverting tourists to the outskirts or the An Hoi town area across the river. However, everything is only superficial; the town on the other side of the river has received investment on the outside, but once you go further inside, there is nothing to attract tourists.

About 20 years ago, I visited Hoi An and was amazed by the beauty of Cua Dai beach. Now, this place only exists in memory due to erosion caused by climate change and altered natural currents. This worries me about An Bang beach; although the authorities have taken steps to build embankments in some areas, a longer-term plan is needed because it's not a foolproof solution.

Hoi An is an attractive destination, but it has been repeatedly damaged by unforeseen incidents, the root cause of which lies in poor management. From the noise in the Bay Mau coconut forest to the haunting memory of the speedboat capsizing incident on Cham Island.

Even the vast, beautiful fields are now being occupied by shops and homestays built on agricultural land. There are many other regrettable things that have caused Hoi An to fade in the hearts of tourists.

From the perspective of someone working in the tourism industry, I believe that the local authorities in Quang Nam province in general, and Hoi An in particular, need to take a longer-term view when planning tourism development.

We need long-term, effective solutions as well as strict management of emerging problems in the tourism service sector. In addition, we need to support businesses that share the same perspective of "both exploiting and protecting tourism resources." If we can achieve this, I think in 10-20 years, Hoi An and Quang Nam will be very different from now, proactive in all aspects while still remaining beautiful in the hearts of tourists.” ( An Nhien wrote)

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