Ru Cha mangrove forest - where green patches of forest attract tourists. Photo: Dinh Hoang

Hue is beautiful and green

The female tourist's question arose when she heard the tour guide provide additional information that, in the first quarter of 2025 alone, the number of visitors to Hue is estimated to reach nearly 1.5 million, an increase of 62% over the same period; of which, international visitors are estimated to reach more than 666 thousand, an increase of nearly 50%. The number of visitors has been increasing over time, but Hue still preserves quite intact the values ​​of its heritage and natural resources, making visitors even more amazed.

Not only Ms. Sandrine was surprised by a "very green" Hue, but many domestic and foreign tourists also shared the same feeling. Also interested in the same question as Ms. Sandrine, Mr. Andreas - a German tourist, came to Thuy Bieu eco-tourism site to better understand the way the local people do tourism. Under the summer sun, Thuy Bieu welcomed Mr. Andreas with the shade of pomelo trees and gardens. Local tourism workers invited him to enjoy peeled pomelos; soak his feet in herbal baths to relax. They also exchanged glass bottles of water for plastic bottles. At that time, Mr. Andreas said: "Perhaps, I have found the answer: Hue is beautiful because Hue is green and retains its inherent values. The efforts of the local government, the tourism industry and the people have made this wonderful thing happen."

There are many tourists who go from unfamiliarity and surprise to joining in the practice of reducing plastic and building green tourism in Hue. Mr. Tran Quang Hao, Director of Huetourist Travel Service Joint Stock Company, said that from using electric cars, bicycles, organizing for tourists to go to the market without using plastic bags, tourism workers also tell tourists beautiful stories about doing green tourism in Hue, which they really like. Tourists are very interested in environmental factors and when they understand how Hue does tourism, they support it wholeheartedly. It is that need and support that makes tourism workers in Thuy Bieu even more excited and determined. If in the past, every tour coming to visit, experience, and stay at Luong Quan - Nguyet Bieu was provided with bottled drinking water, and the items used to book accommodation were all disposable plastic and many types of disposable plastic, now they have been replaced by environmentally friendly products.

Visitors to Phuoc Tich ancient village. Photo: Huu Phuc

Making Hue a green tourist destination

With more than 64,000 street trees, exceeding the green tree standards for a class 1 urban area, Hue City is the place with the highest density of trees in the country. It is not only a “green lung” that protects people from the harsh summer sun but also brings a sense of peace and “healing” to visitors.

Hue City possesses many historical heritages and rich natural resources such as the Complex of Hue Monuments, the poetic Huong River, the Tam Giang - Cau Hai lagoon system, the largest in Southeast Asia, Ru Cha mangrove forest... Besides historical values, Hue's destinations also have rich potential for developing eco-tourism and green tourism.

The green tourism development orientation of Hue City's tourism industry is determined to closely follow the objectives of Resolution No. 54-NQ/TW, dated December 10, 2019 of the Politburo on building and developing Thua Thien Hue (now Hue City) to 2030, with a vision to 2045: "Building and developing Thua Thien Hue to become a centrally-run city on the basis of preserving and promoting the values ​​of the ancient capital's heritage and Hue's cultural identity, with cultural, heritage, ecological, landscape, environmentally friendly and smart characteristics".

The local tourism industry has been on the right track in building attractive tourism packages that are suitable for current tourism trends, especially focusing on the theme of "Green tourism" such as: Health care resorts; tourism combined with culinary enjoyment with sustainable, environmentally friendly culinary tourism models... Currently, Hue has public bicycle sharing stations in the city; many community tourism spots have been formed such as: Exploring traditional garden houses in Kim Long, Phuoc Tich ancient village, Thanh Toan tile bridge area, traditional villages of ethnic minorities along the Ho Chi Minh road through A Luoi district... In addition, the People's Council of Hue City has also issued a number of policies to support the development of community tourism, support, protect and promote the value of typical garden houses, ancient houses...

According to the leader of the Department of Tourism, the Project on Tourism Development and Tourism Services in Hue City for the period 2025 - 2030, with a vision to 2045, identifies the viewpoints and goals of sustainable and inclusive tourism development on the basis of green growth; focuses on developing cultural tourism, harmoniously combining economic development with heritage conservation, promoting national cultural identity; protecting the ecological environment, effectively using natural resources, protecting the environment and biodiversity, proactively adapting to climate change, ensuring national defense and security.

The Department of Tourism has issued a plan to reduce plastic waste in the local tourism industry for the period 2023 - 2025 and is coordinating very well with the Hue Project - Plastic-reducing City in Central Vietnam, the Tourism Association and localities to implement action programs and practice plastic reduction. In addition, in the coming time, it will continue to upgrade tours and service types associated with green tourism, especially eco-tourism and resort tourism; build attractive tourism product packages suitable for current tourism needs and trends, focusing on the theme of green tourism.

In the eyes of many tourists, Hue impresses with the green patches of trees, the Huong River, and the rustic tourism methods that protect the environment from the people. Also because of the preservation and development of green tourism, many tourists have fallen in love with Hue and often return to Hue to be “healed”, to immerse themselves in the green tourism city.