Training workshop on reducing plastic waste in the tourism sector associated with building green tourism products

On the morning of March 25, at Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort, Ninh Binh Tourism Association in collaboration with Vietnam Tourism Association organized a training workshop on reducing plastic waste in the tourism sector associated with building green tourism products.

Attending the workshop were leaders of the Department of Tourism, Vietnam Tourism Association, Ninh Binh Tourism Association, Global Environment Facility Office, UNDP Vietnam; leaders of Gia Vien district, some localities; representatives of tourism service businesses in the province.

The project "Reducing plastic waste in Vietnam's tourism industry" is funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and implemented by the Vietnam Tourism Association and the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment.

The project was piloted in Hoi An city ( Quang Nam ) and Gia Vien district (Ninh Binh), initially showing positive results as well as feasibility for replicating the model nationwide.

In Ninh Binh, propaganda work to raise awareness of environmental protection is focused; solutions and initiatives to reduce plastic waste are flexibly applied in a number of tourist areas and spots in the province.

2024 is phase 3 of the project, including: Issuing a set of criteria for evaluating scores, ranking establishments that say no to plastic waste and recognizing tourism businesses that do not use plastic waste, thereby focusing on building green tourism products.

The workshop introduced the enterprise waste management application (App) with the content of providing basic information on environmental management and declaring information on daily waste quantity at units. Through the application, management agencies can grasp information, extract statistical data on the implementation of plastic waste management for tourism enterprises, thereby monitoring the implementation of the Criteria Set, classifying enterprises. For tourism enterprises, it helps business management personnel clearly understand the situation of plastic waste in their establishments, thereby registering to participate in the implementation of the Criteria Set for tourism enterprises without plastic waste.

At the workshop, delegates exchanged, discussed and shared methods of environmental protection from a tourism perspective, practical models of reducing plastic waste, etc., and answered some questions related to scoring and evaluation methods when units participate in the Criteria Set for recognizing plastic waste-free enterprises.

Receiving the comments of the delegates, the representative of the Vietnam Tourism Association hopes that tourist areas, destinations, accommodation units, and travel agencies in Ninh Binh will continue to promote good models and effective practices. At the same time, it is recommended that businesses boldly participate in registering for a pilot program of zero plastic waste units; receive and apply and test the criteria. This will serve as a basis for the Association to adjust and widely promulgate the set of criteria, actively spreading the movement to reduce plastic waste in the tourism sector, contributing to the implementation of sustainable tourism development goals in Vietnam.

Lan Anh - Hoang Hiep

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