The opening ceremony of National Tourism Year 2022

Quang Nam’s Hoi An is now an environment-friendly city after many years of struggling with waste and trying to balance tourism development with environmental protection. National Tourism Year 2022 will spotlight the local tourism sector’s move toward green tourism.

Hoi An is one of the first places in Vietnam to sort waste at the source and say no to plastic bags. The town’s Cu Lao Cham World Nature Reserve is a waste-free model.

Pham Vu Dung, Director of the Hoa Hong Tourism Company, said the local business community has worked responsibly to make Hoi An an environment-friendly city.

"As tourism development raises concerns about environmental pollution, Hoi An is restructuring its hospitality industry. If we want to get visitors to return, we have to create new tourism products, because many of them have been exploited for more than 20 years already. We’re now promoting green, clean agriculture tourism,” said Dung.

Hoi An has established 5 models of green tourism, and 60 local businesses have pledged to create zero plastic waste. 70 to 100 local businesses are expected to acquire green tourism certificates, which will help the city get recognized as a green tourism destination.

Nguyen Thanh Hong, Director of Quang Nam province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “We’re now promoting green tourism, protecting the ecological environment and tourism resources, and ensuring health safety.”

More than 200 special events will take place during National Tourism Year 2022..