This is an activity to strengthen the coordination between tourism management agencies and wildlife management agencies with tourism associations and travel businesses to promote wildlife protection.

Overview of the Forum

Speaking at the Forum, Deputy Director of Travel Department (under VNAT) Ms. Pham Le Thao stated, sustainable tourism development has long been identified as a top important goal in the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy to 2030. It is sustainable and inclusive tourism development, on the basis of green growth, maximising tourism's contribution to the United Nations' sustainable development goals; effectively managing and using natural resources, protecting the environment and biodiversity, actively adapting to climate change, and ensuring national defence and security.

Deputy Director of Travel Department (under VNAT) Pham Le Thao speaking at the Forum

In the past few years, VNAT has carried out many practical activities to develop sustainable tourism. Namely: formulating policies, planning, appraising and approving sustainable tourism development projects; implementing sustainable tourism development projects, typically the EU Project has created a network of European standard tourism vocational training schools, a network of tourism trainers to spread tourism human resource development… Above all, implement international cooperation on sustainable tourism, coordinate with partners to implement sustainable development such as WWF, CITES in implementing activities to reduce demand for ivory. Particularly, organise campaigns on sustainable tourism, including: reduce plastic waste in tourism activities; organise sustainable tourism training courses for local tourism management agencies, tourism businesses, employees…

Mr. Vuong Quoc Chien, Project Manager for Reducing the demand for ivory of WWF-Viet Nam speaking at the Forum

At the Forum, a representative of WWF-Vietnam stated a number of solutions and practical activities to promote responsible tourism associated with nature and wildlife conservation. Thereby, it is necessary to manage the tourism carrying capacity to control the flow of tourists through space and time; manage community participation to ensure economic benefits for people in the region from tourism activities; manage the construction of accommodation establishments in the direction of forming eco-friendly accommodation establishments, focusing on saving water and using sustainable energy sources, using natural materials for construction; Communicate and disseminate the laws on protection of nature, biodiversity and wildlife to tourists.

Mr. Vuong Tien Manh, Deputy Director of Vietnam CITES management authority speaking at the Forum

Mr. Vuong Tien Manh, Deputy Director of Vietnam CITES management authority updated on the requirements of international law and national regulations for the protection of wildlife and ivory. Experts in the fields of law, legal, scientific assessment, tourism shared about such contents as: The role of biodiversity and wildlife in tourism; wildlife conservation; The provisions of Vietnamese law on control of trade in wild animals and plants; Responsible tourism associated with nature conservation; The role of guides in responsible tourism practices; The guide's deviant behaviour in relation to wildlife trade…

In the framework of the Forum, the Signing ceremony of tourism businesses committed to responsible tourism practices took place.

Tourism Information Technology Center/Travel Department