The Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, hosted the High-level Tourism Forum titled “Green Transformation, Net Zero Travel and Tourism – Creating the Future.”
Minister Nguyen Van Hung, speaking at the forum’s opening, underscored that green tourism and sustainable development are crucial strategies for enhancing the tourism industry’s competitiveness and paving the way for net zero tourism in Vietnam. Destinations like Hoi An, Ninh Binh, Khanh Hoa, Ben Tre, Con Dao, Co To, and Sa Pa have demonstrated strong commitments to environmental management and protection.
Nguyen Van Dung, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, emphasised that Ho Chi Minh City is working to align tourism development with ecological and cultural values, aiming for sustainable economic, cultural, and environmental growth. The city is dedicated to refining policies and action plans to advance green transformation, net zero goals, and the preservation of cultural and natural heritage.
Nguyen Trung Khanh, Chairman of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, noted that at COP26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh committed to phasing out coal-fired power by 2040 and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Vietnam is also focusing on building a green economy, reducing emissions, and enhancing climate resilience through the “National Strategy on Green Growth for 2021-2030, Vision to 2050.”
The forum highlighted the importance of developing a sustainable tourism ecosystem and advancing digital and green transformation as outlined in the Government’s Resolution No. 82/NQ-CP, which aims to support the effective and sustainable recovery and growth of tourism.
So Mara from the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism stressed that the global environmental crisis requires urgent and decisive actions from all countries. With tourism’s critical role in the economy and cultural preservation, achieving global net zero targets is a shared responsibility of both nations and the business community.