Deputy Director of the department Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu said the application of the ASEAN Tourism Standards will help guarantee higher product and service quality as well as safety so that travellers can have better experience. It will create a quality tourism environment and promote HCM City as a trustworthy tourist destination.

The ASEAN Tourism Standards include criteria for energy use management and reduction, sustainable use of natural resources, and efficient waste treatment. By complying with these standards, HCM City can maintain the harmonious balance between tourism development and environmental protection, climate change response, she went on.

Experts said the city, one of the most dynamic trade, service, and tourism hubs in Vietnam, has attracted millions of visitors from around the world and established itself as a diverse and charming destination.

However, to adapt to common trends in the region and the world, the local tourism sector should standardise tourism services, which is critical to its development. Given this, learning and applying the ASEAN Tourism Standards is an urgent need, they added.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, Deputy Director of the Hotel Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said that aiming to turn tourism into a key economic sector by 2030, Vietnam is working to develop sustainable, inclusive, and responsible tourism based on green growth, and maximise the sector’s contribution to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

To do that, she said, the sector will step up applying the ASEAN Tourism Standards, which also include standards on hotels, community-based tourism, venues for MICE tourism, public restrooms, and spa services. The standards also target sustainable and environmentally friendly development, along with energy efficiency at accommodation facilities.

Besides, the tourism sector will also enhance its participation in the annual ASEAN Tourism Awards, which honour the localities and units with high-quality tourism products and services to help with the sustainable development of tourist destinations in ASEAN, according to Binh./.
 
Source: en.vietnamplus.vn/hcm-city-moves-to-apply-asean-tourism-standards/253934.vnp