The forum was attended by representatives of state management agencies, domestic and international tourism experts, leaders of tourism businesses, destination management agencies, media agencies, etc.
Green transformation to join hands to protect the environment
Speaking at the forum, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh said that responding to climate change and protecting the environment has become an urgent need for the whole world. The Vietnamese government has shown its determination to join hands with the world to solve the climate crisis and reduce emissions by declaring that Vietnam will achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
In order to implement the above statement, the Government has issued many environmental policies and assigned ministries and sectors to participate in the program with specific activities of their sectors. Adapting to climate change is both a responsibility and an opportunity for Vietnam to implement a green transformation to enhance the competitiveness of the Vietnamese economy.
Chairman of Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh spoke at the forum.
Mr. Vu The Binh emphasized that tourism is a comprehensive economic sector, with high inter-sectoral, inter-regional and socialization characteristics. All changes in society and nature affect tourism. In Vietnam, the negative impacts of climate change and environmental degradation have severely affected tourism.
Therefore, Vietnam Tourism has gradually implemented green tourism, a type of tourism based on the exploitation and rational use of natural resources, to limit negative impacts on human living environment.
"Implementing the direction of the Government and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam Tourism Association has proactively mobilized tourism businesses nationwide to implement green transformation to join hands in protecting the environment, ensuring the development of Vietnam Tourism into a green economic sector on the basis of developing green tourism products, green services and most importantly, raising awareness and action of the system of Vietnamese tourism businesses towards green transformation for sustainable and effective development of Vietnam tourism. The specific action of the Vietnam Tourism Association is to organize the VITM Hanoi Fair 2024 with the theme "Vietnam Tourism - Green transformation for sustainable development"", said Mr. Vu The Binh.
The Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association hopes that experts will discuss the basic contents of Green Transformation in the tourism sector, implementation solutions, responsibilities and participation of stakeholders in turning Vietnam Tourism into a green economy, a circular economy, enhancing the position of Vietnam Tourism, improving the growth of businesses and the lives of millions of workers in the tourism sector.
Protecting Vietnam's precious natural resources for future generations
Mr. Patrick Haverman, Deputy Head of UNDP Vietnam, said that tourism has become an important economic sector of Vietnam, according to the report, it is expected to contribute more than 6.4% of GDP this year. Vietnam's tourism has achieved these successes thanks to its natural beauty and diverse, rich cultural heritage.
However, in the face of current challenges such as biodiversity loss and climate change, a shift towards sustainable development is inevitable. A green transition in tourism not only benefits the environment and helps promote biodiversity conservation, but also improves the lives of tourism-dependent communities and drives economic growth.
Mr. Patrick Haverman, Deputy Representative of UNDP Vietnam, spoke at the forum.
Deputy Head of UNDP Vietnam Patrick Haverman said that the green transition in tourism in Vietnam needs to focus on four issues:
The first is green planning. According to Patrick Haverman, as we embark on the journey towards a greener future, it is important to start with “green” planning. In other words, national plans need to guide green tourism development, especially the development of tourism infrastructure that has a low impact on the environment and nature, ensuring effective solid waste and wastewater management, among other things. This is especially important in ecologically sensitive locations such as marine reserves and national parks.
The second is effective destination management. Mr. Patrick Haverman believes that in Vietnam, there is still much to be done to improve the effectiveness of tourism destination management. By implementing effective destination management measures, we can comprehensively introduce important regulations on limiting plastic waste and addressing other tourism-related issues in each locality, to achieve the ultimate goal of enhancing the overall positive experience for visitors. Furthermore, this approach allows us to identify and take advantage of the unique natural and cultural assets of each locality, promoting the development of tourism services with regional identity.
Third, plastic-free and low-carbon tourism. In our commitment to a greener future, we need to embark on a journey towards a plastic-free and low-carbon tourism environment. Many localities in Vietnam have begun the process of “greening” tourism for many years now. Examples include Hoi An ancient town, Quang Nam and Co To island district, Quang Ninh, which are actively reducing single-use plastics, demonstrating a strong commitment to local environmental management.
Delegates discussed green transformation solutions for Vietnam tourism.
Fourth, sustainable tourism based on nature. Vietnam has a very large area of land and sea conservation areas, which are important resources for developing nature-based tourism, a field with the intersection of indigenous culture, biodiversity conservation and economic growth in rural and mountainous areas.
However, implementing nature-based tourism sustainably will require careful planning and consideration. This includes assessing the potential impacts on the fragile ecosystems in these protected areas, ensuring that any tourism activities are consistent with conservation objectives, and actively engaging local communities in decision-making processes to promote both environmental conservation and socio-economic development.
"UNDP stands ready to support the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam Tourism Association and other stakeholders in transforming Vietnam into a responsible and competitive tourism destination. Green transformation in tourism not only serves as one of the key drivers of economic growth but also contributes to protecting Vietnam's precious natural resources for future generations," said the Deputy Representative of UNDP Vietnam.
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