A number of travel firms based in the central city have viewed the development of green tourism model as a way of reviving the local tourism industry after the damaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pham Vu Dung, director of Hoa Hong Travel Service Co., Ltd., emphasised that the development of clean agricultural products or green agriculture will contribute to attracting more visitors to the city, thereby turning the UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Heritage into an environmentally-friendly city and a safe destination for tourists.

Phan Xuan Thanh, chairman of Quang Nam Tourism Association, revealed that the locality has basically finalised a set of green tourism criteria, all of which will be unveiled at the opening ceremony of the National Tourism Year 2022 which is scheduled to take place this March.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said that green economic development is an inevitable trend for many countries globally.

He stressed the necessity of making greater efforts to create green zones and to develop safe destinations for tourists  amid the complicated nature of developments relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hoi An currently has five green tourism models which have been successfully piloted. In addition, over 60 businesses have already committed to saying no to plastic waste with up to 100 units receiving the green tourism certification by 2025.

These moves are anticipated to lay solid foundations in which Hoi An can be recognised as a "green tourism" destination in the near future.