Ideas and suggestions on balancing tourism development and heritagepreservation were put forwards at a tourism conference on the sidelinesof the Vietnam International Tourism Mart in Hanoi on April 3.

Duong Bich Hanh, representative of the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Hanoi, introduced anoverall picture of world heritages in Vietnam and highlighted challengesin preserving and promoting heritages’ values.

Kai Partale, an expert from the Environmentally and SociallyResponsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme (EU-ESRT) whichhosted the conference, underlined the need to establish a close linkbetween the preservation and promotion of heritage values and principlesof responsible tourism.

Vietnam needed to integrate advice on responsible behaviours for tourists into prominent cultural events, he added.

Vietnam has 8 world cultural and natural heritage sites recognised by the UNESCO.

Participants emphasised that preservation should be given the toppriority, noting that the main target of UNESCO recognition is to honourthe heritage’s value and help with the preservation work.

In its tourism development strategy to 2020 with a vision to 2030,Vietnam attached great importance to sustainable tourism development inclose association with preservation and promotion of national culturalvalues.

The tourism sector itself is makingefforts to ensure the tourism growth and build resources for thepreservation and environment protection by improving managementcapability or devising support policies.-VNA