Promoting responsible tourism development

Be proactive with “responsible tourism ”

Recently, many tourism businesses have proactively organized programs to plant trees, clean up trash to protect the environment, turn off the lights in response to Earth Hour... Most recently, Long Phu Tourism Joint Stock Company launched a Green Tourism program with the message: "Clean island, blue sea - Thanks to you for preserving". Accordingly, the company informed partners and tourists about the promulgation of the regulation "Do not bring non-degradable plastic items to the Orchid Island Tourist Area and Monkey Island Tourist Area" from June 1. Previously, from mid-March, the Orchid Island Tourist Area officially announced the suspension of elephant riding activities to respond to animal protection, aiming for a friendly tourism model. Instead, the tourist area implemented new experiential activities such as tourists feeding elephants and taking photos with elephants.

Young tourists participate in pottery making at Champa Island Nha Trang Tourist Area.

However, responsible tourism is not only about protecting the environment, but also promoting values and respecting local culture, creating quality tourism products to increase the value of the experience for tourists. Understanding this, many hotels and resorts in Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa have increased the use of traditional dishes of the land of Agarwood to serve tourists, organizing Vietnamese cooking classes for tourists. "Along with pho, bun bo, we bring local dishes such as bun ca, banh xeo... to serve tourists in buffet meals to honor the local culinary culture, diversifying the choices of tourists. Domestic and international tourists love these dishes" - Ms. Le Thi Thanh Thu - General Manager of Adamas Botique Nha Trang Hotel expressed.

Also following the trend of promoting local cultural values, many resorts in Bai Dai (Cam Lam - Cam Ranh) such as Alma, Radisson Blu... are implementing tours to take guests to explore local culture. "With the orientation of developing tourism in a responsible and sustainable way, Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh has increased the use of renewable energy, completely free of disposable plastic waste. The resort always prioritizes the use of local labor to create job opportunities and improve people's lives. At the same time, preserving and spreading indigenous cultural values to visitors through organizing tours to the ancient mango garden in Cam Lam, visiting the traditional fishing village near the resort, or going to the market with local chefs to learn about indigenous culinary culture. In addition, to raise environmental awareness and inspire green living, the resort also organizes practical workshops such as: Recycling coffee grounds, soap, creating products from old fabrics oreducational activities on ocean protection..." - Ms. Duong Vo - Marketing Director of Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh shared.

Need promotion policy

According to Mr. Bui Minh Thang - Director of Phuong Thang Trading and Tourism Company Limited, responsible tourism is an inevitable trend in the world as well as in Vietnam. The good news is that recently, tourism enterprises in the province have focused on developing responsible tourism, especially environmental protection and promoting traditional cultural values in tourism activities; using local labor in tourism activities to contribute to improving people's lives. There are truly green resorts such as: Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, An Lam Retreat, Ana Mandara Cam Ranh...; or Truong Son Craft Village, Nha Trang in the past have become unique traditional cultural attractions of the land of Agarwood. Community tourism models in Ninh Van, Khanh Vinh... have begun to operate effectively. However, according to Mr. Bui Minh Thang, in order for responsible tourism activities to penetrate deeply into the awareness of businesses and tourists, in addition to increasing propaganda and dissemination, local authorities need to pay attention to building clear policies, strategies, and perspectives for developing this type of tourism. On that basis, businesses can take appropriate actions such as building responsible tourism products and guiding tourists to practice responsible tourism.

Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Tourism Association organized a trash pick-up on Nha Trang beach.

Regarding this issue, Mr. Cung Quynh Anh - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that in tourism development, the province and the tourism industry always call for responsible tourism activities towards sustainable development. The province is very interested in developing responsible tourism, as evidenced by the fact that when the coral reef in Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area showed signs of degradation, the province directed Nha Trang City to temporarily suspend diving activities in the Hon Mun sea area and implement overall conservation activities in Nha Trang Bay. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has coordinated with Vin Uni University to advise on the development of Khanh Hoa's Green Tourism Standards, including green tourism standards for tourist accommodation establishments and green tourism standards for tourist attractions with specific indicators... When issued and implemented, the set of green tourism standards of Khanh Hoa province will contribute to promoting responsible tourism activities towards sustainable tourism development.

However, according to Mr. Cung Quynh Anh, responsible tourism development is not only something that the government but also businesses, communities and tourists need to take the initiative to implement. In the process of implementing tourism activities, businesses need to proactively integrate to create responsible tourism activities (disseminating regulations on environmental protection such as not bringing plastic bags to the island, not allowing visitors to use plastic bottled water, encouraging visitors to buy souvenirs so that people have income, supporting the work of preserving cultural heritage...); tourists need to be aware of protecting the environment, respecting local traditional culture and behaving civilly during their travel.

XUAN THANH

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/du-lich/202505/thuc-day-phat-trien-du-lich-co-trach-nhiem-9340c44/