A conference on sustainable tourism development of the central province of Quang Nam, themed “Zero plastic waste tourism”, took place in the locality on September 9.

Participants discuss at the conference in Quang Nam province on September 9 

At the event, participants discussed the importance of sustainable tourism development in the province, solutions to develop green and accessible tourism in tourism value chain and ways to create a start-up and innovation ecosystem in tourism, among others.

 They noted that plastic waste has been a global issue, especially in major tourist attractions. In particular, about 240,000 tonnes of garbage is generated in Quang Nam each year, equivalent to nearly 660 tonnes a day.

 Quang Nam is currently home to about 630 accommodation establishments, mostly in the ancient city of Hoi An. The province is expected to welcome 8 million visitors by 2020.

 However, the fast-growing tourism sector also poses a challenge due to increasing usage of products which take a long time to decompose such as plastic bottles and containers.

 Hoi An city has been a pioneer in reducing plastic waste and building environmentally friendly tourism. In the past five years, about 300 litres of used cooking oil collected from restaurants in the city were used to make kitchen soap.

 Besides, about 300 kg of single-use soap bars and 1.5 tonnes of used white cloth have been recycled since late 2018.

 President of the Quang Nam Tourism Association Phan Xuan Thanh said tourism agencies in Hoi An city have paid due attention to and taken measures to reduce plastic waste.

 To make a breakthrough in the campaign, there is a need for alternatives at reasonable prices for local people and accommodation establishments, he added.