Initial findings on mass dying of fish inconclusive

Fish and shrimp over factories

Pham Ha, CEO of Luxury Travel

Tourists and locals will always choose fish and shrimp over any steel factory, Pham Ha, CEO of Luxury Travel talks with VIR's Van Nguyen.

Though the cause behind the mass fish deaths in several central provinces stays unknown, the situation is putting a hefty burden on on the regional tourism. What are your views on the implications?

The central coast of Vietnam is home to the most beautiful beaches in the country. As widely reported in the media recently, a massive wave of dying fish has been detected along the beaches of Nghe An, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien Hue. As a travel agent, I am truly worried about the impacts that this situation may have on provincial tourism.

We have received cancellations from our guests who planned to visit the central provinces in the upcoming holiday. There is no doubt that the number of visiting tourists will be massively reduced. They are worried not only about beach activities, but also the quality of seafood.

I think the development of Vietnam’s tourism cannot be sustained as long as industrial projects are allowed rampant pollution. I am sure that tourists as well as locals will choose fish and shrimp over any steel factory.

The relevant competent authorities are investigating the causes of this incident. In your opinion, what should they do to calm the public in the meantime?

I think the government should quickly provide precise information and possible solutions to the media and travel agencies to avoid confusion. The current pace is not fast enough.

Though some provincial authorities have warned tourists about the possible contamination of the water and seafood at the polluted areas, some others have remained quiet, leaving tourists worried and confused. People planning to go to Tuy Hoa and Nha Trang are wondering if their travel destinations are affected. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism should put out an official announcement without delay, about which destinations are safe for tourists to visit and which ones to avoid in the upcoming holiday.

The number of tourists coming to the central coast has reduced dramatically. When do you think they will come back?

The number of visitors to these beaches has decreased to zero. This situation will remain so until there is an official statement from the relevant authorities. This case is a wake-up call for Vietnam and especially the central coast about the dangers of sea pollution.

The problem to solve here is controlling factories’ wastewater treatment around touristic destinations, such as beaches. In my opinion, to make the tourism industry sustainable, we should create a beautiful place for the locals to live in and even better places for tourists to visit.

What should we do to ensure the sustainable development of the tourism industry after this crisis?

Related provinces should create a body to handle media crises. A body responsible for giving out official information, post updates, and follow the situation. In addition, violations should be handled with a lot more gravity and strictly fined. When the beaches are safe, this body could cooperate with restaurants, airlines, and hotels to invite the media and travel agencies to come and examine the situation for themselves.

Vietnam should know that the tourism needs a development plan, human resources, and promotion. We should not rush building factories. We need to prioritise environmental protection. Ha Tinh will suffer the most after this case, but neighbouring provinces will also be affected. They should cooperate with each other to overcome this hardship.

In the long term, sea tourism needs to take more care of the marine environment. We also need to encourage restaurants and hotels to develop a high quality wastewater treatment system in order to protect the environment. Violators should be strictly punished. In addition, activities to promote and educate travellers about environmental protection should be encouraged.