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

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.

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