Support businesses to access sustainable certification systems in tourism services business

On May 23, in Hue City, the Department of Tourism of Thua Thien Hue Province chaired and coordinated with the Tourism Association of Thua Thien Hue Province, the Hue Project - Plastic-reducing City in Central Vietnam with the sponsorship of WWF-Norway to organize a Seminar on Access to Sustainable Certification Systems in Tourism Services Business. The event was attended by tourism service businesses, tourist attractions, qualified service establishments, etc. in Thua Thien Hue Province.

Image at the seminar.

Thua Thien Hue is one of the pioneering provinces and cities in promoting the development of plastic-reducing tourism, and in 2024, Hue city was honored as an ASEAN clean tourism city. Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Director of the Department of Tourism of Thua Thien Hue province, said that in recent times, the Department of Tourism of Thua Thien Hue province, in coordination with the Thua Thien Hue Tourism Association and the Hue Project - Plastic-Reducing City in Central Vietnam, has implemented many activities in an effort to reduce plastic waste in tourism activities, as well as contributing to building the image of Hue city with a Green - Clean - Bright environment, as a friendly and ideal tourist destination.

Currently, in the area, Luong Quan - Nguyet Bieu Tourist Destination has successfully implemented the pilot model of a tourist destination that reduces plastic waste; 7 hotels belonging to the Hotel Association and 3 travel companies belonging to the Travel Association have successfully implemented the plan to reduce plastic waste in business activities and have been highly appreciated by tourists and business partners.

Many tourism service businesses in Thua Thien Hue province have now implemented measures to reduce plastic waste in their business operations.

Continuing to implement the roadmap to reduce plastic waste of the Thua Thien Hue tourism industry in the period of 2023-2025, the seminar was held as an opportunity to provide information to tourism service businesses and related units in Thua Thien Hue province about the action plan to reduce plastic waste in the tourism industry and the country. At the same time, introduce to tourism businesses in the province about popular sustainability certificates in Vietnam and internationally. The event also shared a number of models, initiatives, and practices of businesses that have successfully accessed the sustainability certification system in the tourism business.

According to the Organizing Committee, the sustainability certificate in tourism and service business is designed to promote more environmentally friendly tourism activities and enhance corporate social responsibility, while providing businesses with measures to improve operations to reduce environmental impacts. Currently, some prestigious sustainable tourism certificates such as Earthcheck and Travelife have been and are being applied by many tourism and service businesses in Vietnam.

"Hopefully, through this seminar, the units will better understand the importance of plastic waste reduction actions, pay attention and be determined to build for their businesses a specific plastic waste reduction action plan to promote plastic waste reduction activities in the tourism sector; contribute to protecting the common environment and developing tourism to achieve the sustainable development goals of the industry, contributing to the sustainable economic development goals of the province", Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc shared at the seminar.

The project "Hue - Plastic-Reducing City in Central Vietnam" was developed with funding from WWF-Norway (through WWF-Vietnam) and received by the Hue City People's Committee with the aim of supporting the city to protect rivers and wetland and coastal ecosystems from plastic waste pollution, through a series of interventions with the participation of stakeholders including the public and private sectors, civil society organizations and local communities with the goal of reducing plastic waste loss by 30% by 2024.

The project will be implemented over 4 years, from 2021-2024 and is divided into 2 phases: Project initiation phase (2021) and implementation phase (2022-2024).

Source: https://toquoc.vn/thua-thien-hue-ho-tro-doanh-nghiep-tiep-can-he-thong-chung-chi-ben-vung-trong-kinh-doanh-dich-vu-du-lich-20240523161552503.htm