Tourists visit Hue Ecolodge

Raising awareness

As one of the green destinations of Hue , Hue Ecolodge (Luong Quan, Thuy Xuan) has maintained a "No smoking" space for many years with signs placed everywhere. Ms. Tran Thi Kim Lai, resort manager, said: "Most of the tourists coming to the resort are foreign visitors from France, Germany, America, Italy, Canada... with room occupancy rate always reaching 60 - 80% depending on the season. The resort builds a green - clean - beautiful environment, especially no smoking to impress tourists".

Ms. Minh Tu, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, shared: “We are very impressed that many tourist attractions in Hue strictly implement the smoking ban. However, at some restaurants and bars in the city, smoking still exists, causing discomfort to tourists.”

In fact, smoking is still common, especially among men. The emergence of electronic cigarettes and new products also poses a risk of reducing the effectiveness of control. Some service businesses as well as a group of tourists have not really strictly complied with the regulations.

To create change, the Hue City Center for Disease Control has promoted the model on many media channels, schools, accommodation facilities, and tourist attractions. The "Smoke-free tourist facilities" model has been deployed in hotels, restaurants, cafes, and tourist attractions, raising awareness among businesses and spreading to the community, organizations, and residential groups to participate in monitoring and reminding.

Spread from international conferences

At the end of August 2025, Hue City hosted the 9th Asia-Pacific Smoke-Free Conference, with the participation of more than 160 delegates from many countries and international organizations. The conference was jointly organized by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), the Tobacco Control Foundation and the Ministry of Health, with the theme "Smoke-free destinations: Transforming tourism in the Asia-Pacific region".

“No tourist wants to be exposed to harmful secondhand smoke when visiting a tourist destination. Creating smoke-free public spaces is both a health benefit and a smart tourism strategy,” said Domilyn Villarreiz, SEATCA’s Smoke-Free Program Manager.

According to Ms. Phan Thi Hai, Deputy Director of the Tobacco Control Fund, many localities in Vietnam such as Hue, Da Nang, and Quang Ninh have pioneered the implementation of the "Smoke-free tourism" model. This is not only an activity to protect public health but also contributes to preserving the image of a civilized and friendly destination. "Through many approaches, Hue has shown a harmonious approach, both preserving cultural heritage and protecting public health, affirming the connection between protecting people and sustainable socio-economic development," Ms. Hai emphasized.

According to the leaders of Hue City People's Committee, identifying tobacco control as an important part of the sustainable development strategy, the city will continue to strictly implement regulations prohibiting smoking in relics, schools, hospitals, and agency headquarters; promote propaganda in the community, especially in schools and the tourism industry; and commit to maintaining and expanding the "Smoke-free City" model so that Hue can truly be a clean and safe destination.

Building a smoke-free tourism environment is a long-term process, requiring the synchronous participation of the government, businesses, communities and tourists. With synchronous implementation, the spread of pilot models and international commitments, Hue is gradually affirming its position as a "Smoke-free City".

Article and photos: NGOC KHANH

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/du-lich/lan-toa-mo-hinh-du-lich-khong-khoi-thuoc-158509.html