Ha Long, Cat Ba shift focus to environment
Communities and businesses are getting involved in sustainable tourism to help protect Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba, managers of the sites said at a meeting held yesterday in Hai Phong.
The Ha Long – Cat Ba Alliance held its second leadership committee meeting to review tourism activities during the year and discuss environmental protection at Viet Nam's leading tourist destination.
Accordingly, site managers, local authorities and business representatives discussed designing certification standards for cruise ships in line with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and financial, technical and policy requirements. They aim to put in place a cost-effective collection and treatment system to manage cruise ships' waste water.
Solutions
Pham Thuy Duong, head of Ha Long Bay's management board, said a club was founded to protect the bay's environment with the support of the provincial government. The club is active in raising people's awareness about protecting the environment.
"We are divided to focus on different groups of people such as locals, foreigners, domestic tourists and students, which allows the information to work more effectively," she said.
"We also co-operate with Japanese specialists to set up bio-toilets at some tourist spots in the bay, grow mangrove forests and experiment with eco-boats, which run with bio diesel fuel."
Since last year, people from floating villages in the bay have been resettled on land to keep the environment clean. Among the hundreds of floating villages, Cua Van, Vung Vieng and Hoa Cuong have been preserved as destinations for tourists.
Villagers can choose to continue their traditional trade of catching seafood or join the tourism sector by rowing boats and guiding tourists. The provincial government also organises vocational training for them.
