The First Plastic-Free Hotel in Hoi An

VHO- On the morning of September 9th, in Hoi An city, Quang Nam province, Silk Sense Hoi An River Resort officially announced that it is a hotel that no longer releases plastic waste into the environment and no longer uses single-use plastic items.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, emphasized that the announcement of “plastic-free hotels” is a concrete action by businesses, with great significance in creating a ripple effect for the tourism business community not only in Hoi An but throughout the country regarding the determination to implement sustainable tourism development in Vietnam.

Mr. Binh stated that, with funding from the Global Environment Fund and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP/GEF-SGP), the Vietnam Tourism Association is currently actively implementing the project “Reducing Plastic Waste in Vietnam’s Tourism Sector,” to be carried out over two years, 2023-2024.

The project aims to promote plastic waste reduction activities in the tourism sector, contributing to environmental protection and sustainable development of the tourism industry. Accordingly, it focuses on raising awareness among all levels of government, sectors, businesses, citizens, and tourists about the harmful effects of plastic waste and fostering a sense of responsibility in reducing it. It also involves piloting solutions and initiatives to reduce plastic waste at several hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and tourist destinations in Ninh Binh and Quang Nam provinces.

A key component of this project will be the development and pilot application of criteria for recognizing tourism businesses as having zero plastic waste, contributing to the widespread adoption of plastic waste reduction practices by businesses.

The Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA) hopes that through the activities of the Project, it can send a strong message, calling for the efforts and contributions of people, businesses, communities, and tourists towards the goal of: Plastic-free tourism in Vietnam.

Although Hoi An has been implementing environmental protection initiatives and campaigns since its early stages, these efforts have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, as society has focused its resources on pandemic prevention. VITA hopes that the implementation of this project to reduce plastic waste in the tourism sector will further support environmental protection efforts and help Hoi An maintain its position as a leading destination in implementing environmental protection measures in Vietnam.

“Based on the ‘plastic-free hotel’ criteria set developed and successfully implemented by the resort, VITA will initially research, refine, and immediately issue it for evaluation of its member hotels, and then lobby the competent state agencies to officially issue it for application throughout the entire tourism industry,” Mr. Binh further shared.

According to Mr. Tran Thai Do, the investor of Silk Sense Resort, with a sustainable development orientation, Silk Sense Hoi An River Resort has pursued a “Journey of Environmental Protection” from the very beginning of its construction to the present day, by using environmentally friendly materials and implementing plastic waste reduction programs at the hotel.

To implement the plan, the business established specific criteria and solutions for each waste problem and applied them consistently and proactively to ensure the complete elimination of plastic waste at the hotel. Currently, the unit has drastically reduced plastic waste, so the resort no longer releases plastic waste into the environment and no longer uses single-use plastic items.

“This action is not simply about protecting the environment, but also opens up great opportunities for sustainable tourism. We believe that demonstrating social responsibility and creating a sustainable business model will not only attract responsible tourists but also contribute to building a Green brand for Vietnam’s tourism industry,” Mr. Tran Thai Do shared.

Waste processing machine that converts waste into organic fertilizer.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam province, said: “This is the first resort to pioneer a zero-plastic waste model and a practical action in concretizing the Green Tourism Criteria. At the same time, this is also a pilot model for tourism businesses in general, as well as resorts and hotels in the province, to orient their tourism products and develop green tourism in line with the province’s development orientation.”

Over the past period, the implementation of the Green Tourism Criteria for Quang Nam province has achieved initial results, contributing to raising awareness among the tourism business community, the people, and especially tourists in implementing the Green Tourism Criteria.

In 2023, Quang Nam’s tourism industry continued to promote and encourage all businesses to participate in implementing the Green Tourism Criteria. This year, 20 businesses have registered to implement the Green Tourism Criteria, and an inspection and evaluation are expected at the end of the year to further recognize businesses that have met the Green Tourism Criteria.

In addition, we will continue to strengthen communication efforts, training programs, and create mechanisms and policies to facilitate businesses in developing new products that meet green tourism criteria.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/doi-song-xanh/khach-san-dau-tien-khong-rac-thai-nhua-o-hoi-an-83163.html