Currently, Ninh Binh province has been implementing the construction of a smoke-free environment, aiming to implement a smoke-free tourism environment in hotels and restaurants.
At Tam Coc Tourist Area, the venue for the upcoming Ninh Binh Tourism Week 2024 event "The Golden Color of Tam Coc - Trang An", in recent days, it has been bustling with domestic and international tourists coming to visit and experience. Since the beginning of the year, the Tourist Area has welcomed more than 20,000 visitors, a slight increase compared to the same period last year, of which foreign tourists account for 60-68%. In front of the boat dock or the ticket waiting and checking area, although there are no no-smoking signs, there are almost no service staff or tourists using tobacco.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung, a tourist from Hanoi, shared: In crowded public places such as tourist areas and spots, if there are people smoking, the people around will surely not be able to stand the stuffy air. Fortunately, when we traveled to Ninh Binh, we did not encounter cigarette smoke in tourist areas and spots...
Mr. Dang Ngoc Thien, tour guide at Tam Coc Tourist Area, said: For many years, Tam Coc Tourist Area has signed a commitment to build a smoke-free environment. Therefore, in performing daily tasks, the staff, employees, tour guides, and boat owners all strictly follow the regulations to build a safe, clean, smoke-free tourist environment, contributing to bringing tourists the most comfortable and enjoyable experiences when coming to Ninh Binh.
At Hoang Son Peace Hotel (Ninh Binh city), an accommodation facility that attracts a large number of tourists in Ninh Binh, the hotel also focuses on building a smoke-free tourism environment.
Mr. Hoang Van Dung, Assistant Director of Hoang Son Private Enterprise, said: Since 2015, Hoang Son Peace Hotel has signed a contract to build a smoke-free environment with the Provincial Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control, the Department of Tourism and has effectively implemented the provisions of the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control.
The hotel has placed no smoking signs in some areas and has a separate smoking area for guests who wish to smoke. The hotel does not provide ashtrays in the rooms.
Facing the trend of smoke-free tourism, the hotel is very pleased to see that with the efforts of the facility in preventing the harmful effects of tobacco, many guests have complied with the no-smoking policy when staying, and the reception department no longer receives calls from guests asking about the arrangement of separate smoking areas as before...
In particular, Hoang Son Hotel is also a place chosen by many agencies, organizations, families, and individuals as a venue for events such as seminars, conferences, weddings, etc., but the events taking place here all strictly follow the no-smoking policy. From January 1 to May 15, 2024, the hotel welcomed and served 30,200 guests, and more than 90,000 guests attending events.
In Ninh Binh, the hotel and restaurant business plays an important role in the tourism service industry with an increasing number of restaurants and hotels. The province currently has over 700 accommodation establishments with over 10,000 rooms. Of these, there are 46 hotels, accounting for 18% of the total number of accommodation establishments; 332 motels, accounting for 40.9% of the total number of accommodation establishments; 333 houses with rooms for tourists to rent (homestay), accounting for 41% and hundreds of restaurants.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Health: According to research by the Fund for Prevention of Tobacco Harms, the rate of passive smoking at tourist and service locations is still relatively high with nearly 80% of customers passively smoking at restaurants, 65% passively smoking at hotels. In Ninh Binh, through a survey on the level of compliance by the CCIHP Project Group and the Provincial Center for Disease Control conducted in December 2023, the results showed that: Violations of the Law on Prevention of Tobacco Harms were observed at most food establishments and accommodation establishments. The situation of no smoking signs is still common at food establishments, accommodation establishments and public service points...
Therefore, building a smoke-free tourism environment is an effective measure to realize the right of non-smokers to breathe fresh air. At the same time, restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions need to promote their proactive role in building a smoke-free environment at their units, contributing to the goal of reducing the rate of people exposed to cigarette smoke, as well as building a smoke-free Ninh Binh city.
In recent years, the Department of Tourism has launched the movement "Building a smoke-free environment and Ninh Binh Tourism" with restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions in the area.
Responding to the movement, many units have signed a commitment with the Department of Tourism to implement the provisions of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, typically the following units: Hoang Son Peace Hotel, Legend Hotel, Cuc Phuong National Park, The Vissai Hotel, Thanh Long Goat Restaurant, Tam Coc Tourist Area, Ninh Binh Bear Conservation Facility, Thien Ha Cave Eco-tourism Area...
Units that have signed the commitment are provided with technical support for hanging signs, signage, training materials, and communication on tobacco harm prevention according to the needs of each unit. From pilot models of smoke-free environments, Ninh Binh is striving to achieve the goal of building a smoke-free Ninh Binh tourist city.
Article and photos: Bui Dieu
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