(TITC) - Co To island district (Quang Ninh) has been a pioneer in calling on businesses, people, and tourists to join hands to reduce plastic waste right from the source, especially tourists are required to not bring single-use plastic items to the island.
Photo: Binh Thuan Online
Since 1st September 2022, as soon as tourists book tickets through Cai Rong port to Co To island, they are advised to leave behind unnecessary disposable plastic products. All types of plastic bottles, plastic bags, and nylon bags (if they can be replaced) are all changed to biodegradable, environmentally friendly bags. Port and cruise staff have prepared biological bags for passengers to carry their belongings. On board, instead of selling water in plastic bottles, the ferry operator uses water bottles and cups to serve passengers…
In 2023, Phu Quy island district (Binh Thuan) welcomed over 150,000 visitor arrivals (an increase of more than 61,000 visitor arrivals compared to 2022). Pristine beaches, beautiful natural scenery, and simple and friendly people are the charm of Phu Quy Pearl Island. It is forecast that this year the number of visitors to Phu Quy Island will continue to increase, because traffic both at sea and on shore is convenient and fast.
At the meeting to summarise the thematic resolution on Binh Thuan tourism development until 2030 of the Binh Thuan Province, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Duong Van An required Phu Quy to build a model of "green ferries" that do not carry plastic waste to the island, so that Phu Quy tourism can develop sustainably.
The Phan Thiet - Phu Quy route currently has 6 high-speed ferries, each year bringing hundreds of thousands of passengers to the island. If these 6 boats all become "green ferries", it will greatly reduce plastic waste for Phu Quy. It is expected that from next March (Phu Quy's peak tourist season), the island district will hold a ceremony to launch the anti-plastic waste movement, sign a commitment to implement and welcome the first tourists who do not bring plastic waste to the island. This is the beginning of a journey that Phu Quy aims for: 100% of passenger ferries on the Phan Thiet - Phu Quy route do not use plastic bottles, plastic bags, or disposable plastic products; 100% of canoes taking passengers to Tranh island and small islands do not use plastic bottles or nylon bags...
From now until March, agencies, units and businesses will have to prepare products to replace disposable plastic products that tourists bring to the island. The island district has asked passenger transport businesses on the Phan Thiet - Phu Quy route and canoe services on the island not to use plastic bottles and nylon bags, and to switch to reusable, easily decomposable bags and packaging; Phu Quy also makes propaganda video clips to broadcast on high-speed ferries to the island; build propaganda panels placed at Phan Thiet port, Phu Quy port…
Block plastic waste right from the source, from the port taking tourists to the island, to develop sustainable tourism. Phu Quy is in need of cooperation not only from transportation businesses and tourists, but also hotels, motels, homestays, food service establishments and people on the island, to minimise plastic waste in the amount of goods transported to the island every day.
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