Building a smoke-free environment in restaurants, hotels, and tourism service establishments

On October 4, 2023, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with the Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention (Department of Health ) to organize a training course on building a smoke-free environment in restaurants, hotels, and tourism service establishments in 2023 with more than 30 representatives from tourist areas/sites, accommodation establishments, and tourism service establishments in the province participating in the training.

This is one of the activities to implement Plan 968/KH-BCĐ dated March 20, 2023 of the Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control on tobacco harm prevention and control in Tien Giang province for the period 2023 - 2024, aiming to build a smoke-free tourism environment, contributing to creating a green, clean and beautiful tourism image in the eyes of domestic and foreign tourists.

Scene of the training class at Lac Hong Hotel Hall

Training content includes: Harmful effects of tobacco and passive smoking; Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm and Regulations on sanctioning administrative violations in prevention and control of tobacco harm; New generation tobacco; Benefits of building and Guidelines for building a smoke-free environment in restaurants, hotels, tourism service establishments and successful implementation experiences at home and abroad;...

* Steps to build a smoke-free environment in tourist areas/destinations include:

(1) Develop regulations with the following contents: complete smoking ban in indoor areas, measures to handle violators.

(2) Disseminate the regulations to all staff, people working at the location, tourist area, tour guides, and tourists.

(3) Monitoring compliance with regulations: The head of the tourist site or area directs the monitoring and supervision of the implementation of the smoking ban in indoor areas.

(4) Based on the basic monitoring contents, assigned officers write reports to send to the heads and managers of tourist areas and tourist attractions.

* Steps to build a smoke-free environment in hotels include:

(1) Develop a no-smoking rule. The rule should be posted in a visible and high-traffic location.

(2) Disseminate the no-smoking rules to employees and guests in many ways: posting in the hotel lobby, in the guest rooms, announcing when guests book a room...

(3) Hang no-smoking signs, distribute information leaflets about no-smoking regulations, and arrange places to display information about no-smoking regulations in hotels.

(4) Implement activities to prevent the harmful effects of tobacco such as: training employees on the harmful effects of tobacco, skills to remind guests not to smoke in places with smoking bans; maintaining communication on the harmful effects of tobacco and smoking bans; having a policy of rewarding and encouraging employees when they comply with regulations or when they quit smoking; promoting and mobilizing all staff to build the brand of "a clean, smoke-free tourism environment".

(5) Compliance monitoring and reminders.

* Steps to create a smoke-free environment in restaurants include:

(1) Equip employees with basic knowledge about the harmful effects of smoking and passive smoking and skills to remind customers not to smoke; inform them of legal regulations prohibiting smoking in restaurants; disseminate the benefits of implementing smoke-free restaurants...

(2) In restaurants, remove all smoking items from dining areas; remove cigarette advertising posters, items such as ashtrays and lighters from dining tables.

(3) Hang and place no smoking signs in areas inside the restaurant: dining room, kitchen, office...

(4) Train employees on behavioral skills when smoking in restaurants.

(5) Regularly monitor the implementation of the smoking ban.

Trainees exchanged, discussed and shared experiences at the training session.

The training course aims to improve knowledge on preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco and building a smoke-free environment in tourist areas/sites, accommodation facilities and tourism service businesses in the province. Aiming to build a smoke-free tourism environment not only helps protect tourists' health, reduce fires and explosions, but also contributes to building a civilized and polite tourism environment and is a practical solution to attract tourists and develop tourism in a sustainable way./.

Snow Plum

Source