Expanding smoke-free tourism in Vietnam: Experience and lessons learnt

BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: The Vietnam Tobacco Control Law requires indoor public places, including hotels and tourism sites, to be smoke-free. From 2015-2020 prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure reduced in almost settings but remains high in workplace (30.9%), restaurants (78.1%), bar/coffee shops (86.2%). The outdoor of public places, including tourism places, are not compulsory non-smoking areas, making smoking to remain common. Promoting smoke-free tourism helps to protect visitors, tourism place’s workers, and the local environment from the harm of smoke.

INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE:

Since 2019, HealthBridge has supported the implementation of smoke-free tourism model in Ha Noi, Bac Ninh, Hue city and is continuing to expand the model nationwide.
Main approaches:
- Advocating to improve the commitment of the national and local government in implementing smoke-free tourism.
- Capacity building to local authorities, tourism companies, restaurants’ owners and staff in tourism sites.
- Sharing best practices to motivate the others.
- Mass communication to raise public support and compliance.
- Strengthening the enforcement through monitoring visits.
RESULTS AND IMPACT:
- Smoke-free tourism implementation was put into the action plan of Ministry of Cultural Sport and Tourism (MOCST).
- The guideline on implementing smoke-free tourism model was developed by the MOCST and distributed to all Provincial Tourism Departments.
- About 150 inspectors of 63 Provincial Tourism Departments, 100 representatives of tourism companies, hundreds of management board and staffs of tourist sites were trained.
- Smoke-free tourism places have been expanded in Hanoi (40 attracted tourist sites at Hoan Kiem district, the Museum of Ethnography, the President Ho Chi Minh’s Vestige), Bac Ninh (Do Template), Hue (Imperial city Hue).
CONCLUSIONS: The model of smoke-free tourism is deployed to contribute to build a smoke-free, spiritual cultural environment in community. These efforts promote effective smoke-free policy implementation and protect people from the harmful effects of smoke.

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