Authorities in Khanh Hoa Province, located in south-central Vietnam, are enhancing green tourism by offering a variety of community- and nature-based tours in addition to their well-known island tours.
In the Bai Dai area (Cam Lam district, Khanh Hoa), many resorts have built farms in the direction of green tourism for guests to experience.
Become a farmer right at the resort
Tourists can now immerse themselves in nature and local daily life with new tours in Khanh Hoa. Resorts along Bai Dai Beach in Cam Lam District have created green tourism farms and gardens for visitors to enjoy. At Alma Resort near Bai Dai Beach, part of the resort has been transformed into a farm with vegetables, fruits, herbs, and chickens. The farm features a variety of fruits like bananas, coconuts, and papayas, along with colourful flowers, offering a unique and engaging experience for guests.
These farming products are transported to the resort’s restaurants to serve tourists, the representative elaborated. “Tourists, especially families with children, are interested in the farm. They like experiencing life as a farmer,” according to Alma resort’s representative. A variety of farming activities, such as sowing seeds, watering vegetables, harvesting carrots, and collecting eggs, are particularly appealing to kids. Ms. Le Thi Thuy (tourist from Ho Chi Minh City) shared: “I really like the garden here. As soon as I checked in, I picked vegetables and brought them back to my room to enjoy. My family has 4 people, including 1 elderly person and 1 small child, so we don’t have much need to visit or move around. We want to relax and experience the amenities or some on-site activities.”
Green Adventure: Exploring Sustainable Tourism Practices
Tran Minh Duc, director at Long Phu Tourist Joint Stock Company and chairman of the Khanh Hoa Travel Association, said that green tourism, particularly the ecotourism model, has recently paid off.
“Recently, the company introduced the ‘Nha Phu Sunset’ tour, designed with an open concept to allow visitors to harmonise with nature. Activities like kayaking through mangroves offer insights into diverse ecosystems, showcasing typical plants and creatures.
Moreover, the tourist area features a biodiversity house housing information about butterflies, crocodiles, and birds. Additionally, there’s an open zoo where visitors can personally feed the animals,” Duc explained.
Besides green tours, numerous businesses are integrating eco-friendly materials into their facility and equipment designs.
Ms. Le Nguyen Ai Quynh, manager of Truong Son craft village, highlighted that the village is constructed in an open space, featuring furniture crafted from bamboo and rattan, as well as walls and pillars made of wood. These natural materials offer visitors a sense of closeness while expressing aesthetic appeal. Notably, these materials are easily renewable, providing a cooling effect for visitors during the summer months.
Additionally, various units like Champa Island Nha Trang tourist area have implemented creative initiatives, such as flower gardens and windmills constructed from recycled plastic waste. Moreover, a growing number of hotels and resorts are transitioning to eco-friendly practices, opting for cloth bags over plastic, paper straws instead of plastic ones, glass water bottles, and cosmetics derived from natural essential oils.
Green tourism is a key point of green transformation
Over the past few years, Khanh Hoa Province has encouraged travel firms to expand their operations based on green tourism, according to Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, director of the provincial Department of Tourism. The provincial Party Committee has recently introduced a strategy aimed at expediting the transition to eco-friendly practices from 2024 to 2030, with an emphasis on green tourism as the pivotal component of this endeavour. “Tourists are willing to spend significantly on green tourism products and prefer staying at accommodations with green spaces or engaging in nature-based tours,” Thanh said.
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