Tourism businesses collaborate to promote green and sustainable tourism development.

The 18th Guide Awards, a festival for businesses in the tourism industry, was successfully held on Phu Quoc Island.

According to statistics from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the number of international visitors to Vietnam as of September 2017 was estimated at 9,448,331, an increase of 28.4% compared to the same period in 2016. Of this total, Phu Quoc Island alone welcomed 242,999 international visitors, a growth of 25.1% compared to the same period last year, with revenue reaching VND 2,873.9 billion, an increase of 24.9% year-on-year.

This demonstrates the strong appeal of this beautiful island, with 62% of its area covered by pristine forest and hundreds of kilometers of coastline. Phu Quoc tourism is undergoing a strong transformation with a series of high-end resort projects being implemented and soon to be operational. It is projected that by 2020, Phu Quoc will have approximately 10,000 new hotel rooms and attract even more domestic and international tourists to this "resort tourism star." However, the problem is that, without proper planning, Phu Quoc could face overdevelopment of tourism, leading to many negative consequences for the environment and natural resources.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, acknowledged the contribution of the Vietnam Economic Times to the development of the tourism industry.

Prioritizing the need for tourism development to go hand in hand with natural resource conservation is the reason why this year's The Guide Awards is being held on Phu Quoc Island. With the main theme "Green Tourism for a Green Economy," The Guide Awards aims to be a 'bridge' where tourism businesses and policymakers can meet, interact, and exchange ideas, all working towards a green and sustainable tourism development in the future.

“On behalf of the tourism industry and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, I would like to congratulate the businesses receiving awards today. I also welcome and highly appreciate the Vietnam Economic Times for its efforts over the past 18 years in maintaining this award,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, at the Guide Awards for tourism businesses. “Tourism needs the collective contribution of the entire community, and the Vietnam Economic Times has taken practical action to contribute to the development of Vietnam’s tourism industry.”

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan further shared: "Perhaps never before has the tourism industry received such attention from the Party and State leaders, from leaders at all levels of the industry, and never before has Vietnamese tourism faced such a strong opportunity for development as in the current period."

The Guide Awards 2017, a festival of tourism businesses, brought together over 200 companies to meet and exchange experiences.

The Politburo issued Resolution 08 on the development of key tourism sectors. On June 9th, the Prime Minister officially signed the Government's Action Program to implement Resolution 08 of the Politburo and the National Assembly, promulgating the 2017 Tourism Law in June, which officially came into effect in January 2018.

In 2016, Vietnam's tourism industry experienced a breakthrough recovery and development, welcoming 10 million international tourists, a 26% increase compared to the previous year. In the first nine months of 2017 alone, Vietnam welcomed 9.5 million international tourists. We aim to achieve the government's target of welcoming and serving 13 million international tourists and 75 million domestic tourists in 2017. Growth is projected at 30%, with total direct revenue reaching 500 trillion VND, equivalent to approximately 23 billion USD.”

"With such a contribution, it can be said that Vietnamese tourism plays a positive role and makes an important contribution to the socio-economic development. Tourism alone will contribute approximately 1% to the country's 6.7% economic growth in 2017."

Ambassador Nguyen Phu Binh, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Economic Times, delivered a speech at the ceremony.

“This year’s World Tourism Day was organized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in Qatar with the theme ‘Sustainable tourism – a tool for development,’ aiming to celebrate sustainable values ​​in tourism development plans, contributing to and directly impacting the growth and development of the economies of countries, regions, and the world,” Ambassador Nguyen Phu Binh, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Vietnam Economic Times, stated at The Guide Awards ceremony.

Deeply aware of the significance and value of conservation and sustainable development, the Economic Times wishes to contribute its small efforts, accompanying tourism businesses towards the noble goal of "Developing green tourism for a green economy." This year, with a prominent focus on ensuring green values ​​and sustainable development, the organizers of The Guide Awards surveyed, gathered opinions, and honored 115 brands divided into 6 service groups, including: Resorts (40 resorts), Hotels (37 hotels), Apartment complexes (2 apartment complexes), Restaurants (18 restaurants), Travel agencies (17 agencies), and Shopping & Healthcare services (4 businesses).

In the Resort Services category, the top-notch resort of the year (Vietnam's leading resort in 2017) was awarded to six resorts: Amanoi Resort, An Lam Retreats Ninh Van Bay, Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam, JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay, Nam Nghi Phu Quoc Island, and Naman Retreat, not only for their unique and luxurious architecture but also for their 'green values' and commitment to harmonious development coupled with the conservation of natural resources.

In the Accommodation Services (Hotel) category, the highest honors (Top-notch hotels of the year - Leading Accommodation Establishments in Vietnam in 2017) went to four hotels: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, The Reverie Saigon Hotel, Park Hyatt Saigon, and JW Marriott Hanoi.

In particular, with operating criteria aligned with the mission of environmental protection, conservation, and harmonious development with the natural landscape, eight other tourism establishments won the 2017 Green Lotus Award, including: Amanoi Resort, An Lam Retreats Ninh Van Bay, Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa, KOI Resort & Spa Hoi An, Laguna Langco, Mango Bay Resort, Nam Nghi Phu Quoc Island, and Princess d'An Nam Resort & Spa.

The Thanh