However, the development of green tourism still has many challenges as the number of international visitors returning to Vietnam after the COVID-19 pandemic is not very high, financial resources and labour in the tourism sector are disrupted; therefore, Quang Nam needs to take appropriate steps.
In recent years, Quang Nam has invested in green tourism development and considers this an important task in the tourism development strategy. After successfully ending the National Tourism Year 2022 with the theme "Quang Nam - A green tourism destination", Quang Nam continues to mobilise investment resources for the development of ecotourism and green tourism, aiming to build a national green tourism centre.
Resources - Advantages for development green tourism
Located in a key tourist area of the country, Quang Nam is one of the localities with many potentials and advantages in terms of natural resources, indigenous culture, and history to develop tourism towards green growth.
Quang Nam is not only the only locality in the country that owns two World Cultural Heritage sites (Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary), but also has many other famous heritages such as: the Cu Lao Cham World Biosphere Reserve in Hoi An City, and the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of Bai Choi art. In addition, Quang Nam has a 125km long coastline with many famous beaches, nearly 70 festivals, hundreds of traditional craft villages, and nearly 500 historical-cultural relics and scenic spots. That is the advantage of Quang to develop tourism, especially green tourism.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, tourists' travel habits and needs have changed a lot. The selection of destinations and tourism products is the top focus of international tourists. That requires local authorities, tourism and service businesses to constantly invest and innovate products in the direction of improving quality, strengthening promotion and attraction, and ensuring the security and safety of tourists.
Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam Province Nguyen Thanh Hong said that right after the COVID-19 epidemic subsided, along with implementing plans and re-opening to welcome international guests, the People's Committee the province issued Plan No. 5177/KH-UBND dated August 10, 2021, on green tourism development to 2025; at the same time promulgating the "Green Tourism Criteria". From these concrete and practical works, the locality has been selected to organise the National Tourism Year 2022 - "Quang Nam - A green tourism destination".
To develop tourism with high results, Quang Nam has proposed specific solutions and roadmaps. In 2022, Hoi An City was built a pilot green tourism model by the province according to the "Green Tourism Criteria".
Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An City Nguyen Van Son said that the city has issued many sustainable development policies such as "Building Hoi An - Eco-City", implementing a project on "Improving awareness for solid waste”, implementing waste separation at source, and reducing the use of plastic bags.
Creating friendly and safe travel environment
Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam Province Nguyen Thanh Hong said that the recognising the Hoi An Ancient Town and the My Son Sanctuary as the world cultural heritage sites; Cu Lao Cham as a World Biosphere Reserve have opened up many opportunities for Quang Nam in tourism development.
However, the large number of tourists has caused overload and many difficulties in managing, exploiting, and preserving the value of these heritages. To reduce overcrowding at heritage sites, create new tourism products, and attract and retain tourists for a longer period of time, the province has applied a mechanism to encourage businesses and people to expand tourism to neighbouring areas.
At the end of 2018, Quang Nam issued a resolution on supporting the development of mountainous tourism until 2025. Accordingly, the province will support a total budget of more than 121 billion VND for planning and planning; infrastructure investment in tourist zones and spots; product formulation and development; training, fostering, and developing human resources; and supporting tourism promotion and advertising.
Immediately after the COVID-19 epidemic subsided, along with implementing plans and re-opening to welcome international guests, the People's Committee the province issued Plan No. 5177/KH-UBND, dated August 10, 2021, on green tourism development to 2025; at the same time promulgating the "Green Tourism Criteria". From these concrete and practical works, the locality has been selected to organise the National Tourism Year 2022 - "Quang Nam - A green tourism destination".
Nguyen Thanh Hong
Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam Province
Up to now, mountainous districts have built eco-tourism sites associated with preserving traditional cultural values in the locality. Of these, the Dong Giang Heaven Gate Eco-tourism (Dong Giang District) is invested and built with the a total investment of 2,600 billion VND.
In addition to this tourist area, there are currently many eco-tourism sites in mountainous areas that have been put into operation such as: the community tourism village of Bho Hoong, Dho Roong (Dong Giang District); the brocade weaving village of Zara (Nam Giang District); the heritage forest of Pomu; the community tourism village of Ta Lang (Tay Giang District); and the ancient village of Loc Yen (Tien Phuoc District).
Quang Nam's tourism industry is recovering strongly, the number of tourists coming to visit and experience the province has increased significantly. In the first three months of 2023, the total number of visitors and guests staying in Quang Province reached 1.63 million (an increase of four times compared to the same period in 2022), of which, the number of international visitors reached 765,000 (an increase of 85 times).
Despite initial results, the development of green tourism still faces many difficulties. After three years of being affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, the workforce in the tourism industry has had a huge shift, many human resources in the industry have moved to other jobs, many tourism businesses have been dissolved. Therefore, Quang Nam is implementing many solutions to recover and attract tourists.
Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Nam Province Le Tri Thanh said that recently, the province has issued a plan to attract and welcome international tourists in the new period. Accordingly, the locality reviews, evaluates and develops appropriate tourism products; forming diversified and attractive products and organising activities to attract international tourists such as: sea festivals, food festivals, festivals, street activities. The province focuses on building new tourism product model on the basis of national cultural values and the unique and characteristic natural resources of each region and each locality.
In the immediate future, the province will attract social resources to embellish, perfect and upgrade facilities, tourism infrastructure, and stabilize human resources; promote the formation of alliances linking tourism development between regions, localities, destinations inside and outside the province.
On the other hand, the province promotes the application of information technology, organises digital marketing campaigns on social networking platforms; develop websites to introduce destinations, local products and services, businesses with foreign language versions to market to target markets.
At the same time, the province strengthens the management of the tourism environment, ensures security and safety for tourists, creates a friendly, safe, and responsible tourism environment, towards the goal of building and promoting green and sustainable tourism development.
