Green transformation in tourism starts with correct understanding, awareness: expert

Côn Đảo Island in southern Việt Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo

Vietnam's tourism sector is working toward 'green transformation' with the ultimate goal of sustainable development. However, to make this smoke-free industry truly green, numerous tasks need to be accomplished, by the Government and local authorities as well as businesses.

Dr Nguyễn Anh Tuấn, Director of Tourism Development Research Institute (Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism - VNAT), shared insights with Vietnam News Agency about green transformation.

How do you evaluate the strong efforts of the Vietnamese tourism industry towards sustainable green transformation?

Tourism is an economic sector, so it is natural that tourism should take the lead in implementing green transformation according to the national strategy for green growth and the circular economy development project approved by the Prime Minister.

In other words, green transformation is the task and responsibility of the tourism industry because tourism is a sector that extensively utilises resources. Resource exploitation and utilisation must follow the direction of green growth and circular economy to accomplish sustainable development goals, fulfilling Việt Nam's commitments to international sustainable development programmes.

At the moment, the number of players in the field implementing green tourism transformation remains few and far between. What do you think are the reasons for this?

The first reason is insufficient and incorrect awareness about green growth and circular economy in the tourism sector. Many tourism businesses see green tourism as simply visiting natural areas and fail to grasp the concept behind it, which is green growth, meaning to exploit and use resources in a reasonable, effective manner with conservation efforts in mind, for the sake of sustainable development.

Green tourism must entail respect towards natural resources, protection of the environment, the application of measures using clean energy, renewable energy, resource-saving solutions – especially wastewater treatment systems to ensure no discharge into the environment, building a clean environment and safe ecological destinations. In addition, businesses need to apply technological measures in the production of environmentally friendly products and services that meet the needs of tourists.

Clearly, many businesses still have insufficient and incorrect understanding of these principles, so the implementation of green tourism within the Vietnamese business community is still limited. And the State and relevant authorities are also partially responsible for this deficiency; they must step up disseminating and propagating green transformation policies to the business community and the public.

From awareness to action, implementation also requires impetus in terms of finance alongside encouraging policies and support. But currently, the tourism sector does not have any support, and even guiding documents and policies are incomplete. What suggestions do you have for businesses looking to implement sustainable green transformation effectively?

Recently, the Government and the Prime Minister have heavily emphasised businesses implementing green growth and circular economy. However, to go forward with this, one of the limitations and challenges is financial issues, as green growth implementation can be costly and the State needs to put in place resources to support and prioritise green transformation in tourism.

The national green growth plan mentions that the tourism sector has become a highly prioritised group so the State will undoubtedly allocate resources for development. However, the responsibility here lies not only with the central government but also with local authorities, who need to prioritise and have the correct understanding of green growth and circular economy, allocating resources and directing optimal budget support for infrastructure investment while enhancing awareness.

For example, investing in green infrastructure with modern wastewater and waste treatment systems at tourist areas is a must, especially at national-level tourist destinations such as Phú Quốc Island (Kiên Giang Province) and Côn Đảo (Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu).

The State needs to encourage businesses to invest in producing and using renewable energy to replace fossil fuels. The State, people and the business community need to work together while calling for support from international organisations, similar to projects the United Nations Development Programme are doing in Việt Nam.

Many other international organisations are also interested in green growth and sustainable development, and they are willing to allocate resources. The issue is how we approach international organisations, how we attract resources from them for the tourism sector.

Do you have policy recommendations regarding green tourism development in Việt Nam?

For the tourism sector, there needs to be State-level policies on tax exemptions or reductions for businesses investing in renewable energy, using clean water sources, and treating wastewater and waste in tourist areas.

For example, Phú Quốc Island is a major tourist destination but lacks wastewater and waste treatment systems. If under the current conditions the State does not have the resources to build one, then the State needs specific mechanisms, policies on taxes and credit, something that will encourage businesses to invest in new fields, helping to implement the national strategy for green growth or the circular economy plan approved by the Prime Minister.

There is another outstanding issue related to civilised behaviour in tourism. Despite the significant increase in international visitors coming to Việt Nam in the first quarter, which is a promising sign, there is still a phenomenon where tourists are being overcharged at famous destinations, like the incidents taking place at Hoàn Kiếm Lake (Hà Nội) recently. In your opinion, what responsibilities should management agencies take to make tourist environments green and clean, and to regain a positive image in the eyes of tourists?

The onus is on local government management agencies, as they must maintain and protect the tourist destination environment. Building a civilised, friendly environment requires the role and responsibility of functional agencies in strictly enforcing measures when detecting organisations or individuals responsible for negative incidents.

It is necessary to establish tourist information reception centres, with a 24/7 hotline in tourist areas for tourists - or even local residents - to report immediately to local authorities when they see any problems such as overcharging or harassment of tourists. Therefore, the responsibility of agencies on duty is very important; complaints and reports must be received and handled in a timely manner.

In this way, I believe issues will be resolved, contributing to creating a good image for the destination as well as building a green, clean, beautiful, safe brand for Vietnamese tourism.

Are the current sanctions for violations strong enough to deter violators?

I believe not yet. I think the tourism industry needs to propose stricter sanctions. Like drunk driving, for example, has been subject to much more severe punishment. Similarly, I think heavier penalties are needed for behaviours such as overcharging, harassment or scamming tourists, both domestic and international.

Of course, it's not just about issuing regulations, the most important thing is that management agencies need to enforce these regulations and handle offences strictly. If functional agencies fail to do this, and fail to fulfil their roles and responsibilities, it will not bring effective results.