Plastic waste reduction crucial for Phu Quoc's sustainable tourism development

Nguyen My Quynh, project manager at World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Vietnam, said protecting the environment and improving the management of solid waste and ocean debris are the top important task of Phu Quoc to secure sustainable development, especially in tourism, a spearhead sector of Phu Quoc and Kien Giang Province as a whole.

Quynh said that it is necessary to mobilize resources to address hot issues related to the environment, while enhancing the responsibility of the local government, and calling for the joint efforts of organizations, individuals and the community, as well as businesses in the work.

She said that WWF Vietnam is implementing a project to reduce ocean debris in Vietnam, which is expected to benefit Phu Quoc. With this project, Phu Quoc aims to reduce 30% of plastic waste released to the environment by 2025 and no plastic waste in nature by 2030.

Quynh said that WWF Vietnam hopes that travel firms and tourism service suppliers in Phu Quoc will realise the need to strengthen their cooperation and connections in the supply chain to implement measures to reduce plastic waste.

This is also a way for businesses to enhance their competitiveness and win the support of customers amid a rising trend of responsible tourism.

Huynh Thanh Trong, head of the Phu Quoc Culture and Information Division, said that over the past four years, Phu Quoc has organized the annual Day for Phu Quoc environment, collecting about 816 tonnes of waste. In the first half of 2023, the island collected 66 tonnes of waste, he noted.

The local official said that Phu Quoc hopes for support from travel firms and tourists in turning the island into a zero-plastic-waste destination in the future.