Deputy General Director of VNAT, Mr. Ngo Hoai Chung spoke at the conference

The sustainable tourism Green Lotus Label (Green Lotus Label), issued by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) in 2012, is a set of 81 criteria, 5 levels from one to five green lotuses which was piloted applying for tourist accommodations in Viet Nam in past 3 years.

The accommodations granted Green Lotus Label have to meet standards on environmental protection in professional ways such as applying new technology and using renewable energy efficiently to reduce negative impacts on the environment; in addition to providing training courses, popularizing documents for staffs, setting up websites to update information and regulations on environmental conservation.

Overview of the conference

However, most of accommodations granted the certificate are located in large cities and provinces namely Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Thua Thien Hue, Khanh Hoa or Binh Thuan. Therefore in the coming time, other localities should be more active to popularize benefits of the Green Lotus Label to tourist accommodations, Vice Chairwoman of Hotel Department (VNAT), Ms. Nguyen Thanh Binh said.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy General Director of VNAT, Mr. Ngo Hoai Chung emphasized that applying the Green Lotus Label not only contributes to sustainable development of tourist accommodations, but also adapts to demand of international integration. Due to the conference, VNAT will revise the set of criteria and submit for MOCST’s approval to officially apply for all accommodations nationwide.

Fact-finding trip at Sheraton Hanoi Hotel

On this occasion, representatives of Sheraton Hanoi Hotel, Hue Vilgrimage Village, Grand Hotel Saigon shared their experience on environmental protection and energy saving. The delagates also had a fact-finding trip at Sheraton Hanoi Hotel on the same day.

Thanh Tam, Photo: Thu Thuy