Smoking-free hotels: A new step forward for Vietnamese tourism in the new era.

With the goal of building a civilized, clean, and sustainable tourism environment, the Culture Newspaper, in collaboration with the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund ( Ministry of Health ), is organizing the first ever "Outstanding Smoke-Free Hotel" ranking program in 2025. This nationwide activity marks a significant transformation for Vietnam's tourism industry in standardizing service environments, protecting public health, and enhancing the competitiveness of the accommodation system.

Smoke-free hotels - Raising the standards of tourism quality in Vietnam.

In the context of the growing trend of green, safe, and healthy tourism becoming a priority for both international and domestic tourists, the establishment of smoke-free hotels not only has social significance but also offers a competitive advantage. The 2025 rating program is designed to encourage accommodation establishments, especially hotels with 3 stars or more, to proactively comply with the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm, while creating a civilized, clean, and environmentally friendly resort environment.

A smoke-free hotel is not simply a no-smoking area, but a strong commitment to protecting the health of guests and employees, minimizing the harm of passive smoking, and contributing to bringing Vietnam's tourism industry closer to regional and global sustainable development standards.

The evaluation process is open, transparent, and objective.

The selection process for the "Outstanding Smoke-Free Hotel" in 2025 is designed with a rigorous two-round model, based on a clear set of criteria to ensure absolute objectivity and transparency. In the preliminary round, valid applications are scored on a 100-point scale, including 80 standard points and 20 bonus points for hotels that have implemented the model exceeding the requirements.

The scores are averaged from the independent evaluations of each member of the Judging Panel, ensuring objectivity throughout the entire process. In the final round, hotels that meet the criteria will undergo on-site assessment, verification of supporting documents, on-site inspection, and professional discussion to determine the actual level of compliance.

The process of announcing the list of nominees, receiving public feedback, and only awarding titles after final approval is a mechanism that helps the program achieve transparency and build trust among the business community and tourists.

Following the preliminary round, eligible applications will undergo on-site evaluation in the final round, before the list of outstanding hotels is announced on December 30, 2025 in Hanoi.

Promoting healthy lifestyles and sustainable tourism.

Besides honoring pioneering organizations, the program also serves as a large-scale community communication campaign to promote healthy lifestyles and sustainable tourism.

The official messaging revolves around three pillars: protecting public health, developing green tourism, and enhancing business value. From the slogan "Smoke-Free Hotels - A Healthy Space for Everyone" to "Smoke-Free - Adding Value to Every Vacation Experience," the program not only encourages hotels to change their operating models but also contributes to building new consumer habits where locals and tourists prioritize safe, clean, and smoke-free environments.

This is also an opportunity to take practical action to fulfill Vietnam's commitment to implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, while building an image of Vietnam's tourism industry as civilized, modern, and socially responsible.

With the message "Green Hotels - Smoke-Free," the program aims to create a strong impetus for hotels nationwide to work together to build a safe, civilized, and sustainable accommodation environment, not only for 2025 but also for the future of Vietnam's tourism industry.

Smoke-free hotels - Raising the standards of tourism quality in Vietnam.

The evaluation process is open, transparent, and objective.

Promoting healthy lifestyles and sustainable tourism.

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