An overview of the seminar.

At the seminar themed "Action Plan for Reducing Plastic Waste in the Tourism Sector" recently held in Ha Noi, the VTA set a goal to ensure that by 2025, 100% of its member units will have enhanced awareness of the harmful effects of plastic waste and the importance of reducing plastic waste.

Additionally, 50% of member tourist sites and hotels will eliminate the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags and single-use plastic products and 100% of the VTA’s member units will issue guidelines and plans to reduce plastic waste or integrate plastic waste reduction into their operational regulations.

The association also set a goal that 100% of its members will stop using non-biodegradable plastic bags and single-use plastic products by 2030.

The VTA Chairman said: “The active participation of the global tourism industry in reducing plastic waste pollution is expected to be a crucial solution with multifaceted benefits for achieving sustainable development goals”.

In recent years, tourism has made significant contributions to the socio-economic development of Vietnam. However, along with this growth, tourism activities have also increased the amount of environmental waste, particularly plastic waste.

The action plan for reducing plastic waste in the tourism sector will be issued to help achieve the goals outlined in Decree No.08/2022/ND-CP, which details certain provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection, and the National Action Plan for managing marine plastic waste by 2030.

Chairman of the VTA Vu The Binh talks about the goals for reducing plastic waste in the tourism sector.

Accordingly, six key tasks were identified to reduce plastic waste including increasing awareness about plastic waste reduction by using various media channels; participating in the development, dissemination, and monitoring of policies and laws related to plastic waste reduction in the tourism sector; creating and promoting green tourism products that are free from plastic waste; strengthening tourism promotion activities that are linked to plastic waste reduction, collaborating with domestic and international agencies and organisations; providing training and education on plastic waste reduction to the staff of member units within the association; and seeking international resources to support plastic waste reduction efforts.

Vice Chairman of Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Ha Van Sieu said: "The National Authority of Tourism will continue to work with the Vietnam Tourism Association to implement the project's outcomes, support each component of the plan, and encourage localities and destinations to carry out effective initiatives”.