The central coastal province of Binh Thuan held a conference on June 10to develop the Green Lotus Label, paving the way for sustainabletourism development in line with provincial strategies.

The conference created opportunities for participants to deepen theirunderstanding of the Green Lotus Label and discuss measures to conserveenergy.

The label, issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports andTourism in 2012, is a set of 81 criteria applied to tourismaccommodations. Graded from one to five green lotuses, the label isgranted to any accommodation meeting environmental protection andsustainable development standards.

It covers ways to preservethe environment in tourism activities and festival organisation as wellas tap the fullest economic benefits while minimising damage to culturalheritage sites and the environment.

The rapid growth of thetourism sector is exerting intense pressure on local water and energyresources, highlighted the Vice Director of the provincial Department ofCulture, Sports and Tourism Vo Hoang Tuyet Linh, saying garbagediscarded from tourism accommodations has contaminated land and water.

Sheadded that it is crucial for tourism accommodations to be involved inenvironmentally friendly activities and contribute to buildingsustainable tourism in the province.

In 2012, a number of hotelsand resorts in Binh Thuan were honoured with ASEAN Green Hotel Awardsand Green Lotus Labels, opening a new trend for provincial tourismdevelopment. To date, green tourism has been a spotlight in key tourismsites such as Ham Tien, Phan Thiet and Ham Thuan Nam. Green space isspreading in nearly 200 resorts and tourism businesses andelectricity-saving equipment has been implemented at tourism sites.

Atthe conference, the Department also popularised the Law on Preventionand Control of Tobacco Harm while calling on businesses to buildnon-smoking restaurants and accommodations.-VNA