Cua Lo Town: Joining hands to protect the marine environment

(Baonghean) - Coming to Cua Lo, what we feel is that the coastal town "attracts visitors" not only because of the beauty bestowed by nature but also because of the increasingly clean and beautiful environment. This achievement is thanks to the maintenance of environmental hygiene that is regularly mentioned in the town's tourism development plan and strategy.

Determining that maintaining the beach environment is very important in building the Cua Lo tourism brand, the town government is very interested in this activity. However, to be effective, it requires everyone to join hands, in which the awareness of tourism businesses plays a very important role. Every early morning, restaurant owners sift sand and clean up the area. If this job used to be the work of workers at the Cua Lo Town Environmental Sanitation Enterprise, now it is the daily work of businesses at Cua Lo beach during this tourist season. While busy collecting trash around the store area, Ms. Hoang Thuy Hang, owner of Thuy Hang business kiosk, said: “Here, businesses are all equipped with sand screening tools and trash bins according to the town's regulations, and they sift sand twice a week. However, we are all aware of the importance of the environment for business, so every day we voluntarily clean and sift sand to ensure a clean environment and better serve tourists.” Cua Lo Town has nearly 300 tourism service kiosks on the beach. Keeping the environment clean has become the awareness of businesses here. Ms. Lai Kim Dung, a tourist from Nam Dinh City, happily said: “I am very satisfied with the increasingly professional service of the people of Cua Lo coastal town, the landscape is clean and beautiful, and there is no longer the dirty image of the environment like before. This makes us feel comfortable and friendly every time we come to Cua Lo.”

Cua Lo Town Youth Union launched a campaign to collect garbage at Cua Lo beach.

In the scorching heat of the Central region, on Binh Minh Avenue, workers from the Cua Lo Town Environmental Sanitation Enterprise are meticulously trimming and trimming each flower bush and each green grass carpet on the small paths running along the beach. As the core unit in ensuring environmental sanitation in Cua Lo Town, the enterprise currently has 50 workers performing the task of maintaining a clean and beautiful environment on alleys, residential areas, and transporting and collecting waste from restaurants and hotels. Ms. Hoang Thi To, Director of Cua Lo Environmental Sanitation Enterprise said: “To complete the task, the enterprise has invested in more modern tools, machines, garbage trucks and increased human resources. During the current peak season, the enterprise continuously works overtime, increases working hours, and increases the number of trips to transport household waste on main roads and in the beach park area. On average, each day the unit has to collect and transport about 1 ton of waste in the area so as not to let it accumulate overnight.”

Not only assigning responsibility to the Environmental Sanitation Enterprise of Cua Lo Town, but the environmental sanitation work is also directed and thoroughly implemented by the town to all wards and communes in the area. Nghi Thu Ward is one of the key areas for tourism activities of Cua Lo Town, so the environmental sanitation work is of special concern to the ward. In the ward, there are currently 68 hotels, motels, 68 service kiosks and 5 bus stations. In 2014, the ward welcomed over 780 thousand tourists (1830 international visitors), an increase of 120% compared to 2013, accounting for 1/3 of the number of visitors to Cua Lo, of which 450 thousand visitors stayed; total revenue from tourism activities reached 401 billion VND. In 2015, the ward strives to welcome 897 thousand visitors, of which 517 visitors stayed, and 2300 international visitors. The large number of visitors means more waste. Mr. Nguyen Duc Lam, Vice Chairman of Nghi Thu Ward People's Committee, Cua Lo Town said: "To achieve the above goal, the ward must first do a good job of state management, focus resources to invest in tourism, do a good job of security and order, and environmental sanitation. The ward has well implemented the "5 no" policy of the Town People's Committee, especially mobilizing social resources for environmental sanitation, 100% of kiosks and bus stations self-purchase trash cans, garbage trucks, cleaning tools, organize beach sand screening and launch a general environmental sanitation campaign. At the same time, focus on urban beautification, building an increasingly green - clean - beautiful environmental landscape".

To ensure environmental sanitation, in recent times, Cua Lo Town has had many solutions to build a green - clean - beautiful coastal tourism town. Every year, the Party Committee and authorities from the town to the wards, neighborhoods, and businesses have discussed and developed environmental protection plans. All of them have determined that this work is also to build a sustainable brand for Cua Lo tourism. At the same time, assign and assign environmental management responsibilities to each locality and unit. The town regularly organizes campaigns to clean up the environment in the forest park area, residential areas, and on traffic routes. At the same time, promote propaganda to the people about the importance of environmental sanitation such as dumping waste at the right time and in the right place, and not dumping construction waste on the beach. In particular, the vanguard role of the youth has been promoted with many meaningful and practical activities to raise awareness, importance, and mobilize the active participation of union members and young people in maintaining environmental hygiene. 43/43 grassroots union organizations in the town have organized many environmental protection activities. On-site volunteer youth teams have also actively promoted to tourists to keep the marine environment clean and protected.

Talking to us, Mr. Le Dinh Sam, Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Cua Lo Town said: "This year's tourist season, the town is determined to eliminate garbage collection points on the roads. At the same time, we will strengthen propaganda to raise people's awareness of environmental protection. Restaurants and hotels are all self-consciously equipped with trash cans and dispose of trash at the prescribed time." In addition, the town has posted signs and increased trash cans in public places. Currently, 71/71 blocks and hamlets of the town have garbage collection teams and over 400 trash cans in public places and restaurants.

In 2015, Cua Lo was recognized by the Government as the first coastal tourist city in the country, which is the result of the joint efforts of the whole town. However, in order for Cua Lo tourism to develop, each resident, family and tourist must further raise their awareness and responsibility to keep the coastal city greener, cleaner and more beautiful.

Article and photos:Le Thanh