The tourism sector could help protect water resources, said DeputyDirector of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) NguyenManh Cuong.
Speaking on September 26 at acelebration of World Tourism Day, Cuong said that the theme for thisyear's celebration is "Tourism and Water: protecting our common future",and aims to affirm the important role of water resources in tourism, aswell as promote efficient usage and protection of the resources.
Kai Partale, tourist sector specialist from an EU-fundedEnvironmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Programme, said thatresponsible water usage should be acknowledged as an important issue dueto the fact that many regions are confronted with water scarcity.
"In the context of tourism, tourism activities are seen to impact andincrease water problems within the regions tourists travel to," he said.
"In the case of Vietnam, 63 percent of thecountry's water has its source in neighbouring countries, which createsdependence on water sources, and especially the quality of water, fromoutside the country," he said.
He added thatwasteful use and uncontrolled pollution portrays future challenges forresponsible water resources management in the country while theconservation of water could help save money through reducing operationalcosts.
In the first nine months of this year,Vietnam welcomed nearly 5.5 million foreign visitors, about 10 percenthigher than that of the same period last year.
Cuong from VNAT said that with this growth, the number of foreigntourists to Vietnam could reach 7.5 million by the end of this year,meaning the country's tourism hit its target two years earlier than setin the National Action Plan on Tourism between 2013 and 2020, whichplanned to attract 7-8 million foreign visitors by 2015.
However, he noted that the sector still faces problems, includingshortage of funding for tourism promotion activities, impropermanagement over travelling and tourism agencies, shortages of trainedcompetent tour guides and traffic accidents.
He saidthat co-operation between ministries, sectors and more engagement ofprivate sector in tourism activities were needed to address theproblems.
Early this month, the Prime Minister askedlocalities to take drastic measures to oversee their touristenvironment and ensure safety for tourists, emphasising that it helpedimprove the image of tourist destinations and reduces violations,including robbery, overcharging and other annoyances to tourists.-VNA