At the Hon Bay Canh mangrove eco-tourism site in Con Dao National Park, a group of teenagers is releasing baby turtles into the sea. This is one of several experiential tourism activities that have recently gained popularity in the area and have been warmly welcomed by domestic and international visitors.

Other popular eco-tourism activities are cycling around the island, coral reef exploration, and involvement in community conservation efforts. In its circular economy efforts, Con Dao has launched initiatives to reduce plastic waste, such as a plastic-reduction program encompassing all accommodations, travel agencies, and transportation services.

Pham Nguyen Chuong, owner of the Con Dao Resort, said, “At Con Dao Resort, we collect, sort, and treat organic waste. For example, we turn coconut shells into organic fertilizer to nourish the greenery on the grounds of our resort.”

The Dao Ngoc Travel Services Trading Company is another participant in the circular economy model. Nguyen Hoang Phuong, the company’s Director, says "greening" tourism products is his business’s core development direction. A standout initiative is the “Con Dao Sunrise Coffee” model, which minimizes environmental impact and is getting positive attention from both locals and tourists.

“Sunrise Coffee in the early morning is a pilot circular economy model. We only use paper cups and recycle discarded items into unique products, such as transforming old tires and glass bottles into souvenirs for guests. It’s a fresh approach,” said Phuong.

Local businesses support environmental movements like non-use of plastic bottles and bags, green-clean-beautiful Saturdays where plastic waste is exchanged for gifts, recycling used advertising tarpaulins into handbags, transforming waste sites into herb gardens, and composting organic waste.

Con Dao, formerly a district of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and now part of Ho Chi Minh City, was the first place in Vietnam to officially implement a circular economy project aimed at sustainable socio-economic development for the 2022-2025 period with a vision to 2030.

Two years after its launch in 2023, single-use plastic waste at tourism facilities has decreased 35-40%, more than half of all accommodations and restaurants have adopted no-single-use-plastic policies, and organic waste composting is widely practiced. Eco-tourism and experiential tours have increased, attracting environment-conscious travelers. The area also prioritizes water management solutions to improve access to clean water and wastewater treatment and reuse.

To further its circular economy, Con Dao will continue to expand current models, encourage greater business participation, and integrate new technologies into waste management, renewable energy, and smart tourism.

Le Anh Tu, Secretary of the Con Dao Special Administrative Zone Party Committee, said that Con Dao will focus on strengthening human resources, innovating circular economy training programs, investing in recycling and waste treatment infrastructure, and raising public awareness of sustainable consumption.

“We require businesses to demonstrate environmental responsibility in their operations. Con Dao aims to build an effective circular economy model aligned with green economic development and the conservation of nature and biodiversity,” according to Tu.

The collaborative effort and determination of authorities, residents, and businesses is shaping a green, clean, harmoniously developing, distinctive, and responsible Con Dao that leverages its unique natural strengths for sustainable development.