Quang Nam orients to develop green tourism

Quang Nam province, which is known as one of the famous tourist destinations of Viet Nam, owns a lot of potential in tourism and investment in related fields.

Quang Nam is a unique cultural and historical center of Viet Nam, notably the two World Cultural Heritages: Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Temple. In addition, Quang Nam also has the Cu Lao Cham - Hoi An Biosphere Reserve and the art of Bai Cho, which was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017 by UNESCO.

Hoi An - Quang Nam Province at night
Hoi An Ancient Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Quang Nam province of Viet Nam.

Along with other strengths like sea tourism, river system, and unique indigenous cuisine, Quang Nam is the convergence of various cultural values, scenic spots, diverse cultural, historical relics and hundreds of traditional craft villages, unique festivals, etc. This has created an extraordinary feature about the land and the sincere, hospitable people of Quang Nam.

In addition, Quang Nam is also known as a locality with advantages and potentials for tourism in agriculture, rural, mountainous, rural, and craft villages, with various unspoiled and attractive natural landscapes, high biodiversity and unique indigenous cultural values such as Song Thanh Nature Reserve, Bho Hong and Dho Rong community-based tourism villages (Dong Giang), Zara brocade weaving village (Nam Giang), Pomu trees heritage forest (Tay Giang), Ngoc Linh ginseng area (Nam Tra My), Loc Yen ancient village (Tien Phuoc), Tra Que vegetable village (Hoi An), Dai Binh ecotourism village (Nong Son), Tra Nhieu community based tourism village (Duy Xuyen), Triem Tay community based tourism village, Go Noi community-based tourism village (Dien Ban), etc.

Quang Nam Province: Green tourism development orientation
Quang Nam is focusing on green tourism. (Photo: Mai Thanh Chuong)

An attractive tourist destination of the Central region and of Viet Nam for both domestic and international tourists

It can be said that, in order to have a great tourism industry, we must always be innovative and creative to be able to create something new and unexpected for tourists. Besides, we must also grasp the local and international trends and directions of tourism, in which, many countries in the world are focusing on green tourism.

Catching up with that trend, the Quang Nam provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 5177/KH-UBND dated August 10, 2021, on developing Quang Nam green tourism by 2025, with the goal of building from 10 to 20 green tourism products. Additionally, Hoi An city is chosen to build a green tourism model, following the Quang Nam Green Tourism Criteria.

Quang Nam considers this as a new direction to cooperate with tourism businesses and local communities and as one of the solutions for pushing sustainable tourism development, in order to preserve and promote the values of culture, history and landscapes.

By now, the province is gradually forming tourism products and services according to the green tourism model based on the issued Criteria. Some of the familiar green tourism models are Field Restaurant & bar, Silk Sense Hoi An River Resort, La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa, Hoi An Chic Villa, Kybimơ Garden, Health Organic Farm and An Farm’s healthy herbal products, with a circular chain from raw materials to finished products, Coco Casa with sculptures recycled from marine waste, Sea'lavie Boutique Resort & Spa with products from Refill by Sea'lavie, EMIC Travel and Eco tour’s green and recycling tours responsible tours such as planting nipa, cleaning up waste on Hoai River, etc. These new types of tourism are really well-received.

Quang Nam is boldly anticipating the future trend of tourism, and initially, there have been positive changes, tourism businesses and the people responded well by investing in transforming and developing green tourism models such as energy-saving, water-saving models, saying no to plastic bags.

A number of green tours have also been formed such as garbage collection, kayaking to clean up trash in the lower Thu Bon river, etc., which has been recognized, voted and honored by the domestic and international tourism community through prestigious tourism organizations such as Forbes Travel, Travel and Leisure, ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF).

Quang Nam Province: Green tourism development orientation
Cu Lao Cham is known as a beautiful island with various wild animals and legendary landscapes in Quang Nam province. (Photo: Mai Thanh Chuong)

Tasks and synchronous solutions

In order to continue to promote the implementation of green and sustainable tourism development goals, in the coming time, Quang Nam's tourism industry will focus on a number of tasks and synchronous solutions, as follows:

1. Train to raise awareness on green and sustainable tourism development; organize sessions to share experiences to the community in green and sustainable tourism from leading enterprises; spread information about Quang Nam’s green tourism various types of media.

2. Deploy advocacy, advice and guidance for localities and tourism businesses in the province to apply, evaluate and score according to the Quang Nam Green Tourism Criteria issued by the Provincial People's Committee.

3. Survey, analyze, evaluate and make a list of the province’s tourist attractions and tourism products available to invest and develop into green tourism products with the purpose of connecting green tourist spots, building green tours in the province.

4. Train and foster a team of guides on green tourism; training skills in operating and helping tourism businesses to implement green and sustainable tourism models; organizing study tours in domestic and foreign localities with typical green tourism models.

5. Promulgate mechanisms and policies to support and promote the strong development of Quang Nam's green tourism model.

6. Link and cooperate with localities throughout the country to promote the development of green tourism products; form a chain of unique and new tourism products to maximize the advantages of each locality, suitable for the market; Promote cooperation and take advantage of the resources of NGOs and international organizations to create resources for green tourism development.

7. Develop traditional craft villages in association with green tourism development.

Quang Nam Province: Green tourism development orientation
Foreign tourists experience the process of growing organic vegetables at Thanh Dong Organic Farm, Quang Nam province. (Photo: Emic Travel company)

8. Implement plans to respond to and adapt to climate change and natural disaster prevention according to risk levels; Implement environmental protection programs, actions on plastic waste, green growth target programs.

9. Build a green tourism model following the Quang Nam Green Tourism Criteria. Using this model as a basis for localities, businesses and people to study and replicate in the whole province of Quang Nam.

10. Promote publicity and promotion of Quang Nam green tourism at home and abroad, such as: Create a brand identity for Quang Nam’s green tourism; deploying and mobilizing businesses towards producing souvenirs from green, environmentally friendly materials; shooting promotional films and vlogs on green tourism for social media; organizing fam trip and press trip delegations to visit and survey Quang Nam's green tourist attractions, products and services; organizing conferences, seminars and forums on green tourism in order to strengthen linkages between localities and regions; creating links between the state, businesses and people in order to promote Quang Nam tourism. Honoring green tourism products, exemplary successful entrepreneurs; organizing tourism fairs - exhibitions, series of events on green tourism development in Quang Nam, etc.

Quang Nam tourism industry is ready to cooperate with localities, businesses, communities, NGOs and international organizations to build and develop diversified, abundant and sustainable green tourism products towards environmental protection and adaptation to climate change.

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