Non-plastic-waste, green tourism enhanced

Plastic waste from tourism to reach 336,400 tonnes per year

According to Vu The Binh, President of the Vietnam Tourism Association, “Vietnam is one of the world’s major sources of plastic waste (approximately 3.1 million tonnes per year, with 0.28-0.73 million tonnes dumped into the ocean annually). The tourism sector, receiving hundreds of millions of visitors annually, is a major source of plastic waste in the country. Addressing plastic waste pollution is an urgent issue worldwide in general, and specifically in Vietnam.”

Aquarius Garden Ninh Binh offers tours associated with plastic waste collection at the Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh from the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said that each tourist generates an average 5-10 plastic bags and 2-4 plastic bottles or milk cartons per day, not to mention single-use plastic products and personal plastic items. Plastic waste and plastic bags account for 10-12 percent of the total amount of solid waste in Vietnam, particularly in cities with developed tourism activities.

An Institute for Tourism Development Research (ITDR) report states that the significant growth in tourist arrivals and mass tourism trends in Vietnam in recent years have resulted in a substantial amount of waste being generated, including plastic waste.

ITDR’s statistics show that, in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of plastic waste generated by tourists in Vietnam was 116,144 tonnes per year. It is forecast that without mitigation measures, the amount of plastic waste generated by tourists in 2030 will be three times higher than in 2019, reaching approximately 336,400 tonnes per year. This poses a significant environmental burden, especially in coastal tourism areas, creating a negative impression on tourists, damaging coastal and island tourism products, leading to a decline in tourist numbers, and causing economic losses to the tourism sector.

Pham Thi Thanh Thuy, CEO of Aquarius Garden Ninh Binh (second right), has contributed significantly to developing green tourism offerings

Responsible tourism

Pham Thi Thanh Thuy, CEO of Aquarius Garden Ninh Binh, shared, “Responsible tourism offers much more exciting experiences than the conventional way.” Many domestic and international tourists are highly satisfied with Aquarius Garden Ninh Binh’s eco-friendly services and experiential tours at the Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve, which is associated with plastic waste collection.

“Tourists can choose to use only personal items, bring reusable nylon bags for storing swimwear and wet clothes, and always use personal water bottles. They can choose to walk or cycle, trek through the forest, or take a boat tour to admire the scenery in the nature reserve while also participating in litter picking on the lake. The tours remain exciting, immersive, and allow travelers to experience the local culture while still protecting the environment and contributing to plastic waste reduction,” Thuy said.

According to Vu The Binh, the biggest obstacle to green tourism is the limited options from service providers. Accommodation and dining services that limit plastic waste are either expensive or scarce. Most lodging establishments, hotels, and guesthouses still use plastic bottles for water. Dining venues continue to rely on nylon bags and foam containers for takeout.

There have been strong commitments from localities regarding plastic waste. Recently, Con Dao (Ba Ria - Vung Tau) initiated a series of activities to reduce plastic waste in tourism, becoming the ninth locality in Vietnam to participate in the Global Plastic Smart Cities program by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). As part of this program, Con Dao strives to reduce plastic waste leakage into the environment by 30 percent by 2025.

In addition to clean-up campaigns and promoting the reduction of nylon bag usage, every tourist to Con Dao is provided with a handbook on plastic waste reduction, which provides detailed instructions on how to limit plastic waste during each trip. Lodging facilities, boats, vehicles, shopping destinations and restaurants are encouraged to use reusable bags and bottles made from recycled materials or to cease providing free nylon bags. Tourists are also encouraged to use their personal bags.

On March 25, 2024, at a conference held in Ninh Binh to discuss ways to reduce plastic waste and develop green tourism products, an enterprise waste management application (app) was introduced. The app provides basic environmental management information and allows businesses to declare the volume of waste generated daily at their respective units. Through the app, management authorities can acquire information about and data on the implementation of plastic waste management by tourism businesses. This enables the monitoring of compliance with the criteria and classification of enterprises according to the established standards.

The Vietnam Tourism Association has proposed that participants of the upcoming Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) Hanoi 2024 refrain from using plastic water bottles and single-use plastic bags during the event. They have also urged partners and customers to limit the use of disposable plastic products while attending the fair, and promote actions to maintain cleanliness, protect the environment, and strive for a plastic waste-free VITM.

Along with urging businesses to reduce plastic waste from tourism activities, the Vietnam Tourism Association is calling on residents and tourists to respond by refraining from using single-use plastic items when attending the fair.