Hue, once Vietnam’s imperial capital and now the provincial capital of central Thua Thien-Hue province, has become an appealing tourist destination, attracting rising numbers of domestic and foreign tourists. Thua Thien-Hue’s tourism sector has set a target of welcoming 3-3.5 million visitors this year.
Hue has recently introduced its “Plastic Reduction Code of Conduct” to encourage both local people and visitors to behave in a more environmentally-friendly manner. The Code of Conduct forms part of the “Hue - A plastic reduction city in central Vietnam” endeavour.
Under the project, free drinking water taps have been installed at popular tourist sites, encouraging visitors to bring their own bottles instead of buying multiple single-use plastic bottles.
The project has also involved painting murals to raise awareness about plastic waste and to change behaviour towards buying products that generate plastic waste.
Resolving the challenges posed by plastic waste is among the important factors in increasing the value of Vietnam’s tourism sector and creating a beautiful image for the country, especially in the context of green tourism becoming an inexorable trend.
With just small actions, local residents and tourists can become environmentally-friendly ambassadors, contributing to building Hue into a heritage site free of any plastic waste./.
