The Vietnam Economic Times recently held the seminar "Relationship between Tourist Businesses and Environment in Vietnam" focusing on how to keep tourist environment pure and attrative to tourists; the involvement of local communities and functional agencies; communities' awareness; application of solar energy in developing tourism; assessing existing marine tourist environment to get insights of environment protection activities.
At the seminar, participants warned about the impacts of uncontrolled marine tourist activities as spontaneous building of accommodations, facilities, which would deteriorate marine ecosystems. Tourist businesses had not been paying enough attention to environment protection and have been over-exploiting underground water thus reducing water quality. Sewage from tourist accommodations had not been well-treated leading to pollution of seawater along the shores.
Participants also proposed the application of solar energy in environment protection and tourism development. This newly-approached technology would bring great competitiveness among tourist businesses and big help in tourism development, environment protection, energy preservation...
Resolutions of pollution management in tourism industry, environment protection and improvement in tourist spots were also recommended. Besides, participants agreed that it was necessary to complete the state management system on tourism environment protection and to enhance education activities in order to raise the communities' awareness of tourism environment protection.
Source: Van Hoa online
Edited and translated by T.P (TITC)