Ba Ria-Vung Tau (VNA) – The southern provinceof Ba Ria – Vung Tau held a workshop on August 29 to seek ways to developtourism in tandem with environmental protection as part of the sea festival nowunderway in the province.

At the event, participants delivered presentations on howtourism impacts the marine environment and proposed solutions to developplastic-free tourism, apply new technology in marine environment management andenhance Vietnam’s marine environmental protection to foster sustainable sea-basedtourism.

The Ba Ria – Vung Tau Department of Culture, Sports andTourism and the local Tourism Association briefed attendees on the strengths ofthe province’s marine tourism and steps it has taken to build its tourism brand.

Ba Ria – Vung Tau has worked to make the province aregional hub for tourism and entertainment, said Pham Ngoc Hai, President ofthe Ba Ria – Vung Tau Tourism Association. It has heavily invested to developfive key tourism clusters, including Vung Tau City, Long Hai – Phuoc Hai, DinhMountain, Binh Chau – Ho Coc and Con Dao Island, he noted

Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute forDevelopment Studies Tran Anh Tuan suggested that the province shouldsustainably develop the tourism industry by promoting cultural values, touristattractions and historic relics, and protecting the environment.

The province must also diversify tourism products andstrengthen supply chain and services, while local schools and enterprises needto provide tourism workers with necessary skills, particularly in foreignlanguages, information technology and international regulations.

The Ba Ria-Vung Tau Sea Festival opened in the southernprovince on August 28 as part of activities marking the country’s 73rd NationalDay (September 2).

Themed “Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Aspiration, Love and Sea”, the festival aims tobolster investment, trade, tourism and economic development of the province andconnect it with other coastal localities.

The festival has attracted more than 400 businesses andcultural organisations from 26 provinces and cities to participate in economic,cultural and sports activities during the seven-day event.

It includes a trade fair, a kite performance, a beer festival and a series ofseminars and workshops on trade and tourism promotion as well as environmentalprotection.

An outdoor electronic dance music concert titled “Sea Run” will also takeplace, featuring pop star Son Tung M-TP alongside a parade of classic Vespascooters. Exhibitions will be organised to showcase calligraphy works, orchidflowers and sand statues.

Some 500,000 visitors are expected to flock to the festival, which ends onSeptember 3.-VNA