Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee: Counting tourists on paper is unacceptable.

(NLĐO) - Leaders of Hue City affirm that using tourist statistics as a means of achieving targets without ensuring quality makes sustainable tourism development difficult.

On December 17th, in Hue City, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration and the Tourism Development Support Fund, in coordination with the Hue City Department of Tourism, organized the National Conference on Net Zero Tourism 2025. At the conference, Vice Chairman of the Hue City People's Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang delivered frank remarks, strongly criticizing the mindset of developing tourism based solely on quantity.

" I also spoke with a representative from the Tourism Department."

Mr. Giang emphasized: "I wouldn't speak out unless I was going to, but once I do, I strongly oppose the idea that we are using statistics and quantity to achieve results. Because a large quantity without quality will never lead to sustainable development. That perception is completely wrong."

Mr. Tran Huu Thuy Giang delivered a speech at the conference.

He cited the example of Hue , which currently has about 12,000 rooms with approximately 24,000 beds. If statistics show millions of tourists during a three-day holiday, that's just the number on paper. Similarly, Hue has a population of 1.2-1.4 million; if it receives 6.3 million tourists, with only 2 million staying overnight, it raises questions about the carrying capacity of a tourist destination, exceeding phase 4. In that case, the infrastructure would be overloaded, traffic would be congested, and there would be power and water shortages...

"A locality lacking adequate infrastructure can still welcome millions of visitors during just one or two holidays. Some people who don't understand the technical aspects wonder why Hue receives so few tourists. We must understand the life cycle of a tourist destination," Mr. Giang stated frankly.

Therefore, he suggested that a unified method of counting tourists nationwide is needed, based on the established definition of a tourist. According to him, the more one focuses on quantity, the further away the implementation of Net Zero becomes. More importantly, it's crucial to improve the quality of tourism, increase spending, and extend the length of stay for tourists.

Mr. Giang requested that the Hue City Department of Tourism develop separate statistical methods for international and domestic tourists, using sample surveys to calculate the probability of average spending. This should be done every two years to allow for timely adjustments to tourism development policies.

Discussing Net Zero in tourism, the Vice Chairman of the Hue City People's Committee acknowledged that this is a very difficult goal to achieve. "Right now, we're sitting here, using electricity, so how can we expect zero emissions?" Mr. Giang questioned.

He cited examples in many European countries, the US, and Japan, where hotels no longer provide toothbrushes, razors, etc., in order to reduce plastic emissions and waste. "Have we become accustomed to that ideology yet? In our thinking, paying money means receiving the best possible service. When ideology is difficult, action is also very difficult," he said.

However, according to Mr. Giang, Net Zero is not an option but a necessary trend. If we don't train the future generation of tourism professionals, from managers to owners of accommodation and restaurants, to gradually implement Net Zero, then Vietnam in general and Hue in particular will find it difficult to attract the growing number of green and clean tourists from around the world .

Source: https://nld.com.vn/pho-chu-tich-ubnd-tp-hue-khong-the-chap-nhan-viec-dem-khach-du-lich-tren-giay-196251217194616335.htm